tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55801924787974745902024-02-18T20:26:23.455-08:00Challenger RPGAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-84652347717589042922015-01-21T20:41:00.001-08:002015-01-25T14:52:51.118-08:00Hilli and Sci-Fi Short Story by Niles Alling<i><br /></i>
<i>Here is a fine character and fiction submission by Niles Alling: nalling@ymail.com. Mr. Alling says he welcomes anyone to contact him to collaborate on Challenger RPG projects, or to just bounce around ideas. He's also willing to share material, or swap stories for critiquing. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">This is game Number One.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">Character #1: Hilli</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">Standard issue bio-mechanical scouting unit. Highly upgradeable/customizable.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">Cat sized robotic platform. Quadrupedal at speed, bipedal for item manipulation. Built for speed and scouting. Easy to upgrade. Automatic solar power cell recharge. Refillable Nanobot-repair clusters, 3 charges carrying 1d6 repair points.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">Skills:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">-PULSE PISTOL, short range pistol wielding, up to 10 meters, 1d6.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">-MAG-CARBINE, medium range carbine wielding, up to 50 meters, 1d10.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">-HACK, 50% chance opening any low-level security door, 50% chance info recovery of any low level data terminal.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">-RE-LOAD, brainbox data sent to secure orbiting satellite and made instantly available to nearest robotic platform in event of total destruction. Total equipment loss. Retain any electronic funds.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">-CLOAK, basic equipment, 50% chance of escaping enemy notice until combat begins, upgradeable light-bending optics, acts as camouflage. Must be activated (not a passive skill, 10 minutes of total cloaking time before recharge is needed).</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">Powers:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">-FLASH, once per encounter an expanding sphere of light energy emits from unit, blinds any biological enemies or scrambles any electronic circuits. 25% chance of total immobilization of enemy for one round. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">-CAPTURE, unit carries two, small remote hacking devices. Must be placed directly on robotic enemy unit. 25% chance of obtaining direct control over enemy unit for 1d6 rounds. Retain control over unit until next encounter or for one day if original encounter ends with enemy unit under PC control.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">-ION SHIELD, once per day a spherical shield can be generated. 75% chance of blocking all damage. Blocks 50% of damage even upon failure.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">-GEOSYNCHRONOUS EYE, once per encounter data can be streamed from any available satellite giving nearby enemy locations or any POIs, building blueprints. Does not function for subterranean structures. Uses two full turns to complete during an encounter.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">-KINETIC HARPOON, once per adventure 1d6, 3 foot long solid masses launched from orbit upon an enemy dealing 3d10 damage each. 25% chance of hitting man sized enemy. 50% chance of hitting vehicle sized enemy. 100% chance of hitting stationary building or building sized enemy. All PC's must be outside the 100 meter safety zone. GEOSYNCHRONOUS EYE must be activated successfully before use.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">The only information this character starts with is that his human body is somewhere on the planet in a research and development laboratory. Character starts by soft reboot just outside of a small community of natives with a standard issue monomolecular knife (replaces natural weaponry, 1d4) pulse pistol and 100 galactic standard units (most common form of currency).</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web Regular', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Helvetica Neue', 'BBAlpha Sans', 'S60 Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><br /></span>
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<pre style="background-color: white;"><pre><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web Regular, Segoe UI Symbol, Helvetica Neue, BBAlpha Sans, S60 Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px; white-space: normal;">
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<pre>Self Discovery
Chapter One
I knew as soon I woke, something was off. It was the way I woke, I think. It wasn't the gradual spiral up out of sleep I'm used to, I came-to like flipping on a switch.
Directly in front of me was a long thin hand, three fingers and slightly heavier opposable thumb. I'd seen the material somewhere before. Ultralloy. A strange mixture of carbon nanotube and exotic high nickel metal. Twice the strength, a quarter the weight. Good stuff. How did I know that...?
An artificially calm female voice spoke:
"Warning. Evasive maneuvers recommended. There is a low speed, high mass object incoming."
Without thinking I answered back, "What?"
"Warning. Evas..."
"Yes! I got that but... what's going on? Who are you?" I observed more of my body as I swung my head around, looking for the speaker. Just to add a little flavor to my already confused mind, parts of me seemed to fuzz out of focus or whole chunks would disappear altogether.
"I have been given no designation. I am this unit's A.I."
I could feel the ground rumbling now. Whoever she was, she was right. There was something big, and it was close.
I turned my head to look behind me, and seen the huge metal grille of a Class D land train. I knew they were big. The balloon tires they ran on were ten meters tall by themselves.
And apparently the voice talking to me in my head has a different idea of 'low speed' than I do. They sustain a cruising speed of 130 kph over the flat desert terrain. Funny the useless little facts your brain will feed you when you're truly in panic mode...
I found that when you're about to kiss the front bumper of a land train they appear to be moving a whole hell of a lot quicker than that.
"Requesting permission to take temporary control over unit."
"Granted!"
The next few seconds were just a blur. My view to the front lowered close to the ground, sage brush flew past at a dizzying speed and I could feel the rumbling begin to die down.
At what the A.I. determined to be a safe distance she relinquished control and I looked back at the train. Watching the thirty two pairs of ten-meter-tall balloon tires roar by I realized how lucky I was.
"Thank you. I think you just saved my life."
"Self preservation software is built into this unit's A.I."
"I see. Look, I really need to know what's going on here. What information can you give me about... this?" I gestured my ultralloy hand vaguely around myself.
"I have been given a data file and was instructed to give it to you when the unit finished its soft reboot. Would you like the data now?"
"Yes. Please."
My view of the world blinked out and was replaced by the severe face of a silver haired woman in her sixties. Intelligent brown eyes peered at me over the lenses of oval wireframe glasses.
"Hello Dr. Reso. This is Dr. Bruckner. We weren't sure what you'd remember at this point so I've prepared a quick overview of the situation. Odds are you have more questions than answers right now.
We are working on 'Project Binary Grail' for the Department of Advanced Artificial Intelligence Development, an embedded agency within the United Republic of Free Star System's military.
Recently we have made astounding progress toward the truly thinking and learning machine, thanks in large part to your experiments in total synaptic transfer and immersion.
So much so that the higher-ups have taken an interest in the project and demanded a full disclosure report on all methods, techniques and findings. Needless to say we put them off for some time. I guess we pushed it too far.
On Friday, the sixth of January in the year 2164, Earth Standard, a black ops sting operation was carried out to collect the research and its subsequent data.
You were immersed at the time of the sting and the only reason everything was in place for this was due to the thorough foresight of yourself and Senior Design Engineer Ackley.
A small escape pod with the unit you're immersed in now escaped and was loaded on a transport to the Freemason system where it was to dump you on one of the planets in the Goldilocks band.
Also loaded into that unit is the A.I. you've been developing since this project began. You've got something there Doug. We don't know exactly WHAT you've got, but it doesn't behave like a machine... shit, it behaves more like something out of myth.
Anyway, you need to obtain another means of transportation after you've found a particular individual on that planet. His name is Grant Ronlin. Back when he was still on the radar he had ideas almost as crazy as yours. Rumors say he's gone native and has completely dropped off the net. Reasons for this behavior range from too much pressure in his old working environment, to cult activities and everything in between.
Find him, we believe he may be convinced to help you. It's a long shot, I know... But this is as far as we could get you without raising any red flags with the trans galactic teamsters. And besides, you always wanted to meet him. Looks like you have a good excuse now. Do not try to contact the lab or anyone involved in the project, we're being watched. When this blows over we will try to get in contact with you.
Good luck Doug. And take care of her."
"End of message." Said the calm female voice.
If I had lungs I would have taken a deep breath, let it out slowly, and had myself a good solid round of cursing.
</pre>
<pre>
</pre>
<pre>--Niles Alling.</pre>
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<pre style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web Regular', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Helvetica Neue', 'BBAlpha Sans', 'S60 Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px; white-space: normal;"></pre>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-87215794507978095932014-12-15T15:10:00.002-08:002014-12-15T15:13:03.215-08:00Cow Bell and Reap Tracker Adventure 2 Part 1This adventure is still in progress.<br />
<br />
Cow Bell's Uncle Larry, who now rules the Kingdom of Am and is somewhat evil, summons the heroes to the court and requests that they defend the border village which I forgot the name of against the hostile forces of the forest of Nos.<br />
<br />
He gives them a squad of 100 of his best soldiers and the king's seal which means that if anyone disobeys them, lightning will shoot down from the sky and kill the offenders.<br />
<br />
They travel to the village and find it embroiled in a nightly war against zombies from the forest. Unknown to the heroes, the High Priest from the previous adventure is in league with the forces of death and controls the zombies who are attacking.<br />
<br />
The heroes track the zombie forces into the forest and find a cave they are coming from. They enter and find a portal which the Reap Tracker's horse/dragon sniffs out for them. The portal leads to the northern swamp of doom where the ancient black castle lies with the stone golem pyramid. Selky has mind controlled the High Priest and taken control of the 4 invincible elemental forces of the land to destroy the kingdom.<br />
<br />
A new hero joins the group. She's a telekinetic, but apart from that I forgot. They have a fight with some stone golems, but the dragon eats them and gets indigestion. Cow Bell digs with a shovel and finds a scroll that gives him visions of a fairy girl who tells him they cannot attack the evil castle without the 4 elemental weapons scattered across the lands.<br />
<br />
They split their forces into the Desert of Flame and travel to the Vale of Ghosts where they recover the wind whip. Next, they travel into the frostlands and reclaim the water scimitar of healing from the bottom of a lake.<br />
<br />
Air elementals attack Cow Bell, but he flies around the world 5 times and then ignites them with his laser eyes in a factory filled with gunpowder.<br />
<br />
At this point, we had to break up the session so this adventure is to be continued...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-40552725602900963312014-12-15T15:01:00.001-08:002014-12-15T15:03:54.898-08:00Challenger Cow Bell and Reap Tracker Campaign Adventure 1By request, here is the summary of one of my currently running Challenger campaigns:<br />
<br />
Episode 1: Adventure 1 Reap Tracker and Cow Bell Campaign.<br />
<br />
The two heroes are a super-man look-alike named Cow Bell instead of Kal-El and a hunter/tracker named the Reap Tracker who never reveals her true name to anyone.<br />
<br />
The players used an outdated version of Challenger to give themselves super powers and made an NPC for their party who is a first level healer/pirate who has infinite uses of the Raise Dead power.<br />
<br />
The evil tyrant king of Am requests the players help in rooting out assassins in his court. The players show up and stop an assassination attempt in the throne room. They resurrect the assassin and find out that it could be either the court wizard or the high priest who is responsible. The court wizard is Selky the Illusionist.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Cow Bell is seeking a blue magical stone from his people lost somewhere in the city. They find the stone and his people show up to steal it from him. When they return to the castle one of the king's three daughters is dead. They resurrect her and suspicions fall on the High Priest.<br />
<br />
The players attack at midnight on the rooftop and find out the High Priest has the stone. The evil wizard of the court attacks the High Priest and they discover the king himself is evil as well. The Reap Tracker gets a huge dragon somehow and there is a battle against Selky's illusions which the players lose and still survive. They crash the dragon into the castle and defeat the evil king.<br />
<br />
Cow Bell's Kryptonian Uncle Larry takes over control of the kingdom and the two heirless princesses who are still alive (one died under the bed somehow and didn't get resurrected) follow Cow Bell around like groupies.<br />
<br />
As reward, the Reap Tracker now has a huge dragon which can turn into a hippogriff or a horse at will and only needs to eat one piece of silver a day to stay alive. It can also breath: fire, acid, and ice and travels at 1,000 miles per minute.<br />
<br />
End of Adventure One.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-73126553882957458612014-12-10T11:22:00.001-08:002014-12-15T15:13:26.472-08:00Challenger Supplements UpdateHi everyone,
I know that Kingdoms of Sileeria has been in the works forever, but I just wanted to let you know that I haven't forgotten about it. I am still in contact with the artist and it's in the works. It might not be as fancy as the time it took would indicate, but it's still on the agenda.<br />
<br />
Someone also requested more adventures for Challenger. That's on my brain as well. I am a very linear person and I'd like to get Sileeria done first. I haven't forgotten, but I am still not sure if it will happen for sure. I just think it's a good idea.<br />
<br />
By request, there is a new forum up on the site here. It is freeware so I am not sure I totally trust it, but I finally have an official forum up for Challenger so yay.<br />
<br />
Work has been busy so I am mostly writing from my mobile device. If you notice weird typos or a lack of my usual pictures and links, that's probably the reason why.<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading. Please enjoy Challenger and all the content of interest on the website!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-58970496478676543262014-05-20T19:27:00.003-07:002014-05-20T19:27:59.170-07:00How to Grab and Keep the PCs Attention<i>This article was kindly submitted and shared by, Braden Jarvis. Thanks Mr. Jarvis!</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
1: See it to Believe It</h3>
<br />RPGs require a large amount of using your mind unlike video games which is played in front of you before your eyes. As many RPGers and nerds know the 21st century does not like using their mind. The way to fix this is to use a large amount of detail. Know that too much detail can be utterly boring and uninteresting. However in the right mixture of detail to action RPGs get much more interesting. Another way to fix this problem is by using drawn out maps and characters. These may be very hard to get ahold of but can be made with simply paper and markers drawing out and using three dimensional pieces: checker and chess pieces etc. This allows people to know where they are know what to do.<br /><br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
2: Action!</h3>
<br />Now many GM and players know RPGs are mainly appreciated for their action. However, after a while of flashing and bashing RPGs become rather boring and unchanging. Always add puzzles and deep conversation to get the players attention. For example, during an RPG adventure, my companions and I were trapped in a dark elf tower. Every person in the party knew that there was absolutely no way to fight fight the guards for they were MUCH to powerful. However it was easier to escape other ways, but the challenge was much better than rolling damage die and hoping to win. After all it is called a ROLEPLAYING game. Your PCs should have a chance to get their juices flowing and actually think. This is very rare in video games.<br /><br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
3: I do not Fear Death</h3>
<br />I laugh at myself on how much I am a custom to making my PC's survive. Of course you always want to keep your players alive until the final battle. However at the final battle the must be an actual risk. I have never had a character die in a battle. I usually kill goblins and go back to the pub for more petty quests. However this is good to offer an easy challenge for new players, but experienced players should be having adrenaline pumping throughout the entire game and at the climax actually have a challenge that could end up in throwing away character sheets.<br /><br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
4: You wake up in...</h3>
<br />KNOCK OUT SCENES! Nothing scares the pants off me like waking up after being hit to death by a giant troll. Also for a new players this adds an escape route from getting rid of their character sheet as I mentioned in the point above. This also makes suspense and straight out fear for your players. Another thing to do is make players wake up somewhere else. I.e. you are KOd by goblins and wake in a gladiator fight with lions.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-82448526684043665322013-11-24T10:10:00.001-08:002013-11-24T10:12:50.085-08:008 Ridiculous Fight Scenes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Many
campaigns are based around cool plots, interesting characters, and
awesome settings. No matter how cool your campaign intrigues are,
however, you’ll need an awesome fight scene at some point. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">While
your heroes might be fond of solving all their problems with words and
skill checks, there will come a time when they get the itching feeling
that the villain simply needs a good drubbing to solve all the world’s
problems. This is born from the basic human instinct that all problems
can be solved at a critical juncture if you simply hit them hard enough
with a hammer. Classically, this takes the form of the Russian astronaut
kicking the 40-billion-dollar computer to miraculously get the engines
on the shuttle to start. Whatever the psychology, it’s there, and it
works.<br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Given that you’ll need a good
fight scene, we now have only to quibble about minor points of realism
and what form this scene will take. Most people try to think up the
craziest bad guy they can and then put the PCs in a nigh-unwinnable
situation which they’ll virtually always win. Other people flip over to
the ‘will-kill-you’ section of their monster manuals and then toss that
at the players. Whatever your system, so long as your recognize the need
for a huge showdown, you’re good to go.<br />
<br />
The grand finales of many successful games include all kinds of
intriguing elements such as: puzzles, dialogues, monologues, traps,
magical gizmos, and erupting volcanoes. Instead of worrying about all
that, it’s best if you just focus on the huge fight scene. <br />
<br />
A huge fight scene needs several things to be successful. First off, the
players actually have to be apprehensive about the coming fight. It’s
no good if they all sigh and say, “Aw, not another dragon.” And then
lazily pull out their magical long-swords. A huge fight scene which
comes out of left-field is equally as problematic. Nobody can get
properly scared of a fight they didn’t even know was coming. They’ll
likely tromp on the villains before they realize they were supposed to
be super dangerous.<br />
<br />
Secondly, the fight itself must last a certain duration to be deemed
credible. No huge fight scene ever lasted under twelve seconds. All huge
fights, by definition, must last a long time. I’m not talking about
dragging the fight into the realms of boredom, but there has to be time
to build up the momentum in a good fight. I figure, the bad guy has to
actually get at least one good shot in, or the fight doesn’t qualify.<br />
<br />
Thirdly, and most importantly, the huge fight scene has to have a
grandiose element. The whole point of a huge fight scene is being
over-the-top. If the bad guy isn’t the biggest, the toughest, the
meanest, and the most over-powered thing the players have ever seen—then
you’re losing points fast. It may not be possible—or reasonable—to
continually outdo yourself, but you can at least give the new villains
some crazy edge the party has never seen before; like being utterly
invincible, or shooting 30d6 laser beams from their eyes.<br />
<br />
The following are some fight scene ideas which should probably never be
used in any serious game. GMs are fond of making up their own epic
battles, and using someone else’s ideas should be the last resort. That
said, if you like something, steal it.<br />
<br />
<b>The Evil Wizard</b><br />
<br />
This guy is so powerful he can do practically anything. He knows all the
spells of both Clerics and Wizards, and he probably knows some 10th and
11th level spells as well. Not only that, he can cast infinite numbers
of all spells at-will, cast two spells at the same time, make up new
spells on the spot, and he can do anything which can be blamed on
‘magic’.<br />
<br />
The evil wizard will probably have a ‘pet’ which is powerful enough to
destroy just about anyone. He’ll make liberal use of such spells as:
teleport, invisibility, and ultimate fireball. Ultimate fireballs are
the same as regular ones except they do however much damage the GM
wants.<br />
<br />
The weakness of the evil wizard is that he’s so arrogant he’ll overlook
obvious threats which can kill him. Not only that, he also wears no
armor and can be killed by the average dagger blow.<br />
<br />
The evil wizard makes for a good fight scene because he can do
practically anything he wants with magic and that scares the players.<br />
<b><br />
The Giant</b><br />
<br />
No matter what this creature is, it’s huge. I’m not talking regular
huge, but totally massive. This thing is so big it could step on
metropolises to destroy them. It could be a dragon, humanoid, spider,
piece of Jell-O, or whatever. Savvy players have respect for huge
creatures because such creatures can step on them and kill them without
rolling for damage. Huge creatures can also eat people which generally
kills them, also.<br />
<br />
The giant creature is rarely working alone. There’s probably an evil
wizard who summoned him and an army of lesser foes around him to get
squished for dramatic effect.<br />
<br />
The tactics of a giant creature are fairly simple: eat people, step on
people, fall on people (when taking damage), ignore damage with thick
skin, throw unbelievably huge things at people to squish them (whales,
the empire state building, etc.), and roar loudly while doing so.<br />
<br />
To make a giant creature a credible foe, the GM must explain to the
players early on that there’s no saving throw or hit point damage for
getting hit with a falling building, you just die. This will make the
players scared for their lives because the GM can kill them on a whim.
If they’re still not scared, the giant creature can threaten to step on a
metropolis if they don’t agree to chuck down their weapons and face it
in a wrestling match.<br />
<br />
The weakness of giant creatures is getting hit in the head with a small
rock. Seriously, though, they’re usually incredibly stupid and slow;
making them easy targets for magic, mind control, and pretty much
everything else. Players are also fond of ‘going for the eyes’.<br />
<br />
The giant makes for a good fight scene because players usually respect things a billion times bigger than them.<br />
<br />
<b>The Black Knight</b><br />
<br />
This character is almost always a human working for some other evil
force, probably an evil wizard. The black knight doesn’t say much, but
he’s epic with a sword. All black knights are probably warriors of at
least 20 levels beyond the highest level anyone is allowed to get in the
warrior class.<br />
<br />
In combat, a black knight is essentially unbeatable. No matter how good
the party is at fighting, a black knight will always tromp them utterly.
He’s tougher, stronger, and faster than anyone. He gets 15 attacks per
round. His sword can cut through anything. His armor is impervious to
all attacks. He rides a black horse with fiery red eyes.<br />
<br />
The weakness of the black knight is that he’ll have nothing to do with
magic, and he obeys someone else. Casting a simple spell like Charm
Person or Sleep on him will probably yield an easy victory.<br />
<br />
The black knight makes for a good fight scene because he can beat up the
party to no ends. Also, most parties will attack villains on sight in
melee combat, so this plays right into the black knight’s wheelhouse. If
the players get wise and cast a few spells on him or fly over his head,
then you may have a problem. Backing up the black knight with a wizard
who casts dispel magic or fly on him can solve this problem, but make
him an unstoppable juggernaut at the same time.<br />
<br />
<b>The Dragon</b><br />
<br />
If not overused, dragons almost always make for great fight scenes. The
dragon is already portrayed as one of the most fearsome creatures
around. Generally, you won’t have to do much to hype up the dragon’s
deadliness.<br />
<br />
Dragons have huge size, cast magic spells, have hyper-intelligence, have
incredible senses, live practically forever, wear invincible scales,
and breathe fire. Did I mention they can fly?<br />
<br />
Played properly, a dragon can use just about all the tactics of any
other villain you can think of. They can potentially cast infinite
spells, squish people, burn down cities, and eat people.<br />
<br />
The problem with dragons is that they also come with huge hoards. Most
players won’t let you get away with a dragon who happens to be punch
broke even though he’s been laying waste to the entire world for the
past 500 years. The other problem is that they’re such an obvious choice
for a huge fight scene that they can easily be overused GM: “You turn
the corner and see…a dragon!” Everyone: “Again?”<br />
<br />
Dragons don’t generally have any weaknesses unless you’re feeling in a good mood that day.<br />
<br />
<b>The Demon</b><br />
<br />
The definition of a demon is probably: an unrealistically evil creature
from another dimension you can’t easily get to. He’s also really
powerful and wants nothing better than to trash up the world. Basically,
this means that demons work well for huge fight scenes.<br />
<br />
Because demons come from some other dimension, you can feel justified in
giving them all kinds of wonky powers the players would never let you
give to anything else. Players: “He’s immune to all damage except from
+4 light swords?” GM: “Oh, yes, everyone from his ‘realm’ is like that.
Pretty normal there, really.” Players: “He regenerates all damage taken
from anything but fire?” GM: “Yes, it’s the yellow sun of earth. It
makes him really powerful here, and he can also fly really fast and go
back in time.”<br />
<br />
Demons have horns. Other than that, it’s up to you.<br />
<br />
The weakness of most demons is something really sissy, for the most
part. Generally: iron, silver, magic, or anyone who can cast
‘Banishment’. If this troubles you, just say he’s a demon prince and
gets to circumvent the usual weaknesses of the other demons because of
his high rank in extra-planar society. Most players won’t argue the
logic of this because they can then brag about beating out a bigger foe
and princes generally have more money.<br />
<br />
Demons can make for good fight scenes because, apart from the horns, the players don’t really know what they’re facing.<br />
<b><br />
The Genius</b><br />
<br />
The beauty of this villain is that he can be anyone: a little girl, a
bald guy, a hunchbacked Halfling, an elf with cross-eyes, etc. He
doesn’t have to have powerful magic, a strong constitution, or the
ability to swing a sword. All he needs to have is an unusually powerful
mind.<br />
<br />
Because it can sometimes be hard to properly role-play genius, you can
simply give this kind of character infinite amounts of any resource you
feel like. I.e. because of his incredible intelligence he has infinite
money. His incredible wittiness has earned him the undying loyalty of
millions of goblins who will do anything he commands. His super genius
regularly yields up new versions of computer software and the ability to
mind control people by looking at them.<br />
<br />
Essentially, all you have to do is work backwards from whatever end-goal
you have. For example, if you want him to be invisible, just say that
he experimented with alchemy until he discovered the secret to
invisibility but a huge lab fire torched the recipe and even he can’t
remember how he did it.<br />
<br />
The genius, despite his vast intellect, will always be trying to do
something incredibly stupid and counter-productive to the world: like
fill it with magma or obliterate the moon with a nuclear missile. Who
knows why he does this stuff, he just does.<br />
<br />
Like the evil wizard, the genius is most often physically weak. He’s
also liable to make really stupid mistakes like creating an impregnable
fortress of death lasers but forgetting to lock the door to his bedroom.
He’s probably also an egomaniac, and using his pride against him could
be an easy win.<br />
<br />
Geniuses make for great fight scenes because the GM can ask the players:
“What would be the smartest thing for him to use against you?” and then
feel perfectly justified in using that suggestion under grounds of,
“Well, he’s a genius, see?”<br />
<b><br />
The Invincible Foe</b><br />
<br />
When the GM is running short of ideas for good enemies, simply making
just about anything ‘invincible’ can often be a great trick. Nobody’s
really scared of a goblin (unless they’re new to RPGs), but if he’s an
‘invincible’ goblin, that’s a different story. Now, he’s officially
annoying.<br />
<br />
It’s a good rule of thumb that any invincible foe be given a decent
attack of some sort. Otherwise, the party might just sit there beating
up on him all day and that can get really tiresome.<br />
<br />
Players are justifiably wary of invincible creatures because they’re so cheap.<br />
<br />
By definition, invincible enemies don’t really have a weakness. However,
the players will argue that any foe must have at least one weakness.
Ignore their words at your own risk. Also, players will quite often find
ways of dealing with pesky foes like burying them in concrete or
scattering their ashes to the four corners of the globe.<br />
<br />
Invincible foes make for good fight scenes because they’re hard to kill
off. However, this can backfire if the players get too annoyed at your
incredible cheapness.<br />
<b><br />
Aliens and Deities</b><br />
<br />
Aliens, like demons, come from really far away. They can also have
whatever technology and physical characteristics you can think of. Not
only that, but their weird mindset can explain just about any irrational
activities you can come up with.<br />
<br />
Deities, on the other hand, don’t really have any business fighting the
PCs. It’s usually the PCs who decide to go and have a beef with them. As
the GM, you have two basic options. One is to say the deity is so
powerful you can’t even fight them and then it does whatever it wants.
And two is to allow the fight to take place which is like admitting the
guy can actually get beaten.<br />
<br />
Deities and Aliens can make for a good fight scene because you don’t
even have to explain why they’re so powerful. It’s kind of just inherent
in the nature of who they are. What you ‘will’ have to explain is why
the party is fighting them in the first place. Most players don’t take
kindly to being attacked by aliens if you have no good reason for it.<br />
<br />
The weakness of aliens and deities is generally up to you. Given their
immortal/weird nature, you can also probably have them come back to life
with less questions asked than usual. Players may get touchy when an
evil wizard comes back from the grave, but if he’s Thor they shouldn’t
be able to say much.<br />
<br />
<b>The Big Fight</b><br />
<br />
Whatever you choose, try to have fun. Also try to remember that not all
great adventures need to have huge fights. It just tends to end up that
way<b>.</b>
</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-1166064443917676652013-11-13T09:08:00.001-08:002013-11-13T09:29:42.490-08:00Destination RPG Website Q&A with Rob Bondoni<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hi, Rob. <br /><br /><i>I was mucking about the net one day when I happened to come across your site through <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/challengerrpg/rpg/">Pinterest</a> and a review of a game I had done a Q&A for: <a href="http://www.adventurersinn.net/">Flint and Steel</a>. I had meant to read only one article, but I read a second. After that I read a third. Before I knew it, I'd read almost every article you've written so far. How did you become such a talented writer? Usually, I can only get through books like Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and A Game of Thrones.</i><br /><br />I really appreciate the compliment. I have dreamed of writing most of my life and the thought of putting those thoughts to paper literally left me hanging on inaction and very little to show when I did take action. Fear of rejection is a powerful feeling for procrastination. Once I discovered blogging, I discovered my love of writing again. So now I write all the time and the funny thing is, you are constantly improving…If there is a secret beyond actually practicing the craft, I have one rule. Every time I create a post, I want it to be actionable or beneficial to the reader. Even if my audience does not leave a comment or pitch in to a <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/discover/categories/tabletop%20games?ref=sidebar">Kickstarter</a> I want them to feel like they have learned something valuable. <br /><i><br />You've mentioned that you're planning on heavily investing time into helping people find ways to promote their RPGs. Time is money. What prompted this great generosity?</i><br /><br />I believe by helping others, we end up helping ourselves. When I created my site, <a href="http://destinationrpg.com/">Destination RPG</a>, I really wanted to make something useful. While I want to finish my game I found many people were doing the same thing and most of them had better grasps of game design than I did! In those same forum posts I was looking for help, they were rejecting the idea they could even make a car payment with their life’s passion. <br /><br />We are living in a time where technology makes it possible for anyone to be a publisher and challenge the industry whales for a pie small enough to take care of themselves.<br /><br />So I said to myself, I may not be the next Gary Gygax but I think I can make my mark in this industry by helping other people help themselves. <br /><i><br />I read in one of your articles that you're working on writing your own game design. I think it was code-named Fatebreakers. Is there anything you can tell us about this system, or is it secret? How do you find the process of writing and game design as a whole?</i><br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">One thing I can tell you: it has nothing to do with <a href="http://www.evilhat.com/home/fate-core/">Fate Core</a>!<br /><br />Right now, I am working on the game setting and if there are any specific rules I expect them to be very rules light. <br /><br />The concept of the game is simply there are three types of people roaming the world.<br /><br />Fated characters have a strong destiny and are able to jump across dimensions melding with alternate reality versions of themselves. Either through a telepathic connection or outright body melding. <br /><br />The Nascent have a Destiny across multiple life spans to accomplish something greater than a single life could on its own. <br /><br />Fatebreakers themselves are unique in time and space. They have no carved out destiny and can instead do as they will. Stealing powers from Fated and Nascent. They also change other people’s destiny simply through interference. <br /><br />So the main idea revolves around player characters romping through alternate dimensions and time to fulfill their chosen destinies while dealing with certain races that can do similar thins. <br /><br /><i>You said that you weren't going to focus so much on the design of game systems themselves, but more on the promotion side of things. Is there a particular reason for this? In my experience, the actual design of systems can be one of the most important parts of a good promotion campaign. What are your thoughts on this?</i><br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Good design is very important to helping sell a game once it is released, I will not refute that. Most successful games coming through Kickstarter though do not even have a demo or sample of people playing the game. Instead they have a vision, some artwork, and a lot of word of mouth surrounding their game. They can make enough to finish up production of their game and take a stab at their vision. If their backers like it, then the creators can keep on creating. <br /><br /><i>What's your background in RPGs? What was your first gaming group and RPG like? Do you prefer to play as a player or GM? What other games do you really enjoy? What are your favorite games and hobbies? What do you look for in an RPG? What is your current favorite and most hated RPG system? What's the funniest RPG moment in your career?</i><br />That is a lot of questions!<br /><br />I am not an industry veteran but I played a lot of RPGs. I was in fourth grade when a my best friend's older brother Patrick invited me to play D&D with them. Patrick gave me a character sheet and forgot to tell me how to fill it out other than rolling a D20 for my stats. I think I played a wizard that first time, but I was hit by a petrify curse and Patrick asked what my saving throw was. I had no idea what he was talking about.<br /><br />When I was in high school and college all I played was Werewolf and Mage in old world of darkness. I think I have an authority complex because I only played the GM and was never satisfied when other people would run the game. <br /><br />I used to really be into World of Warcraft, Diablo 3, and Magic the Gathering. <br /><br />I spend a lot of time reading and writing now. Unfortunately I have been a road warrior for the past three years and rarely have the opportunity to even play my X-Box anymore. So I look for games I can quickly jump in and out of. <br /><br />My favorite system is Werewolf: The Apocalypse. Can I say I really hate the Arkham Horror board game? Talk about overly complicated and nothing happening. <br /><br /><i>How do you think technology is affecting RPGs?</i><br /><br />I think we are seeing technology take RPGs and turn them into video games. I think it is a natural progression. People love a good story and high quality writers and artists make that and the math easy. It is an unfortunate turn for book writers though, and I think with enough positive exposure people can turn this into a growing industry again. <br /><br /><i>What do you think the future of RPGs will be like?</i><br /><br />More interactive books and systems being handled by smart phones/tablets. Rule clarifications will be embedded in the books with video example. Integration will be key.<br /><br />I noticed you wrote in one of your articles that you can't rely on anyone else to make your dreams (or game designs) come true. I think this is a very valid statement. Whenever I wait on someone or something else to get the job done I always end up waiting a very long time. Was there any particular event that led to this observation? Despite your inclination to 'go it alone' is there any way other people have helped you out over the years? Players, friends, family, etc.<br /><br />Once I finally had a child, a trigger switched on that made me realize I have am actually responsible for this other person. It did not help that my wife constantly called me her dreamer either. <br /><br />My entire life has been one big dream of doing something and not acting. One thing I did after having a child immediately was to take a job I did not expect to receive. Traveling the country I realized that I may only have a little more experience than other people I encounter. The major difference is I do my best to take action now where other people sit there waiting for other people to make the first move. When I applied the concept to my personal life, I realized just taking a lot of small steps typically results in a large momentum everywhere else. <br /><i><br />What can we expect in the future of Destination RPG?</i><br /><br /> As you mentioned, Destination RPG is going to heavily focus on different ways to help promote RPGs. Not just RPG books but tabletop, card games, and even some video games. This may be through coaching, courses, or directly helping in campaigns. <br /><br />Ultimately, I want to run a convention for independent developers along the lines of Gencon, but I prefer to focus on one thing at a time. Otherwise I end up with 22 half finished projects!<br /><br /><i>Thanks for your time, Rob!</i><br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You can check out Destination RPG at: <a href="http://www.destinationrpg.com/">http://www.destinationrpg.com</a></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-51953082695736949542013-11-11T11:50:00.000-08:002013-11-11T12:50:43.505-08:00How to Trick out the new Nexus 7 FHD with the Best Apps<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img class="cover-image" height="320" src="https://lh3.ggpht.com/kNGGhUS3dy_mnZXlW6xFIpVvuEoIjS-yE85hpEMnW6Yqrf698gAtfJgBUh-hHKXZvy4=w800" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Stolen from Google Play</td></tr>
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So what are the best apps and peripherals you can get for the new Nexus 7 FHD? Here are some of the best apps and the reasons why you should get them. All of the below are my opinions alone and may not be relevant to everyone. I also tend to steer clear of most games and the apps which want the craziest permissions so I may have missed some of your favorites.</div>
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<b>A bit about the Nexus 7 (2013)</b></div>
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Aside from Google's insane privacy policy and their habit of stealing all your personal information, the Nexus 7 is pretty dang awesome. I instantly bought the 4G version in 32G as soon as it came out on Google Play. I'm an owner of the original Nexus 7 and I still think that one was a better design physically. One of the few things I miss on the new Nexus 7 is the soft rubber backing of the other. In fact, I bought a case for the new Nexus 7 (Poetic Slimline) just so I wouldn't have to feel the slick plastic back of the new one. I kind of hate plastic.</div>
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While the physical design might not feel as cool or be as easy to use (the old one I could wield one-handed and use all controls. The new one you find yourself accidentally hitting buttons because it's a bit longer); it more than makes up for this by being a bad-ass when it comes to hardware and being even lighter than the original.</div>
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There is now some serious competition for the Nexus 7 from the Apple Ipad Mini with Retina and the new Ipad Air. However, in physical design, I still think the Nexus 7 is the winner. Also, for the price, it's unbeatable. If you don't care about the price, Ipad might be the way to go.</div>
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<b>Some of the coolest new features of the Nexus 7 FHD:</b></div>
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The most awesome new feature is probably the fantastic screen at a ridiculous pixels per inch. It looks better than my TV, but the screen is still too small to fully enjoy movies and it's hard to share it with family. If you get a hdmi slimport adapter and hook it up to a TV or use Miracast/Chromecast you could probably solve this issue but I can't see the logic in paying 25$ for a movie which will nerf your too small storage on the Nexus when you could just buy the DVD instead. I still did buy one movie and it looks awesome.</div>
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Some of the screen colors did look a little weird to me, but I quickly forgot it in the face of overall awesomeness. You can quickly pick out details in films and pictures you couldn't see before on the old Nexus 7 or even my TV or laptop. Very cool.</div>
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The dual speakers improve the sound a lot. I always hook up Bose headphones, but when you want to share stuff or it's not practical to wear headphones, the speakers are a heck of a lot better than the original.</div>
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Tiny design makes the Nexus 7 (2013) just as portable as the original and even lighter. When I bang it against a table I can hear the innards rattling around which is a bit disappointing (having dropped the original a few times with no problem), but so far I haven't managed to break the thing.</div>
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Although the Nexus 7 is probably one of the lightest and coolest tablets around, I still find my hand getting tired after reading a book on it for long hours. I still prefer real books. In essence, this is a luxury machine. I prefer radio for music, laptops for computer stuff, DVDs for movies, TVs for TVs, and books for books. That said, throwing in all of this with internet and portability makes a pretty cool combination. </div>
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Camera on the back so you can take photos and scan QR codes. Nice. Only thing is, Google can steal all your photos at the pinch of a hat so I never take any personal photos. With location access, they can also probably figure out where you live. Scary.</div>
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<b>Peripherals, What you Need and What you Don't:</b></div>
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Micro USB to USB Standard: I never use this. However, it does let you plug a keyboard, mouse, or anything else you want into the Nexus 7. I think this is pretty awesome. I'm just kicking myself for not getting a longer and more expensive cord. I bought a tiny one on Ebay for like 20 cents, but it still works and is pretty cool.</div>
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Good Headphones: Turn your mediocre speakers into Bose surround sound. Buy songs on Itunes, put them in a regular folder on your laptop, and then transfer them to Music on your Nexus 7. Enjoy.</div>
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2 meter Audio Line: Just a standard inl-line of high quality. Plug it into speakers to get great sound out of your device, or to watch a movie with great sound if you can get the image off your Nexus onto your HD TV. I can't, so don't ask me how (Miracast, Chromecast, Slimport to HDMI, or projectors).</div>
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Cases: I bought the Poetic Slimline. It does just about nothing, but it's a nice case and feels cooler than the smooth plastic backing of the Nexus 7. I also bought a cheap, universal 7 inch tablet case with a zipper. In my opinion this is the best buy ever because it's total protection, portability with handles, and it keeps out all the dust at work until I need the device. I protected my original nexus with 'only' one of these things. Remember to unpackage the thing on the shelf and check if the Nexus fits before buying one (within applicable laws, of course).</div>
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YOU DON'T NEED: A screen protector. I bought one and it was crap. Got a ton of dust on it, and basically it's just a piece of platic which makes your screen look ugly and unresponsive. Total waste of money in my opinion. Plus, if you're getting an awesome HD screen for a rock bottom price, you might as well enjoy it before it outdates itself.</div>
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YOU DON'T NEED: A stylus. Styluses are complete junk unless you're an artist. If you're an artist, I can't say whether it's useful or not. I bought like ten from Ebay and they don't really work. Okay, I only paid 20 cents for them, but still. Dang it, if you're buying a touch screen it's so you can use your greasy fingers on it. Go for it, be happy.</div>
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<b>Stuff it Still Needs:</b></div>
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Removable SD cards, infinite storage, Windows and Apple software you can toggle off between Android, HDMI port, holograms, screen sharing with everything, lighter and smaller, better construction materials, and AI.</div>
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<b>Immoral Data Providers:</b></div>
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Okay, here's the thing. All the cellular providers are unethical and want your money. They will absolutely, no question, lie to you and try to steal your money. Because you signed a contract, they can do this.</div>
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If you have any device with a data connection, never use that data until you can confirm what exactly you're paying for it. Search the web for hours, contact the customer support, I don't care. </div>
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I cite two examples to prove my point.</div>
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1. Bell: I hooked up my tablet at Bell and they quoted me a price of 5$ -30$ for the amount of data I would use. Guaranteed. I used that amount and they charged me 400$ which they soon dropped when I made it abundantly clear they'd messed up my charges. I cancelled my plan with Bell.</div>
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2. Telus: The guy at the store guaranteed me 5$ to 30$ for the amount of data I would use. I asked him multiple times, and he assured me each time. I decided not to trust him because I'm not that stupid anymore. I checked around the net and soon found out I was being charged 100 times the price I was quoted. If I'd kept using my tablet like last time I would have incurred a bill in excess of 1,000$. Who knows if they'd be kind enough to give it back. I contacted Telus, was directed to IT, and the guy explained how they'd messed up my plan and what to do to fix it. I went into internal settings and mucked about. He mucked about on his side. I now pay the proper price for my data. Every day, I check how much I'm being billed for my data just to make sure.</div>
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Thank you Telus IT guy. You are awesome. </div>
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Moral of the two stories: Cell Phone companies don't need to have customer service. You signed a contract saying you'd pay whatever they want. The only thing you can do is cancel, or make dead sure you're going to pay what they quoted you. Use every tool at your disposal to do so: reviews, internet how-tos, IT departments, online bill checkers, whatever. </div>
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<b>The Apps:</b></div>
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Okay, this was the whole point of the article, right? Sorry to get so sidetracked. Here are some of the cool apps I use along with the reasons why I use them:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipluej9Wi5rMhRW9Gmn1YpOjnNfGItCRHDVPSDnd9ucJzeA0dh17EINf8PFtYhzgGejpMrh_OV5h6JxklItMI9z7cc5adWntgPhBhJMMfhShYrmwCZdqGm__TJuhKdDPEsEX_Af17XP8QB/s1600/Screenshot_2013-11-11-11-59-45%255B1%255D.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipluej9Wi5rMhRW9Gmn1YpOjnNfGItCRHDVPSDnd9ucJzeA0dh17EINf8PFtYhzgGejpMrh_OV5h6JxklItMI9z7cc5adWntgPhBhJMMfhShYrmwCZdqGm__TJuhKdDPEsEX_Af17XP8QB/s320/Screenshot_2013-11-11-11-59-45%255B1%255D.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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Wattpad: I don't really use this App anymore, but I had it on the old Nexus and you could check out some pretty cool stories from indie authors. If you like writing, might be worth a look.</div>
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Pocket: I don't use it much, but it's dang cool. Save websites for offline reading. Total awesomness.</div>
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AVG Antivirus: I hear Avast Antivirus is better, but I figure some antivirus is better than none and I use AVG on my desktop. I read somewhere Android is super vulnerable to hacks and it's actually surprised me I haven't got a virus which has wiped out all my stuff yet. Knock on wood.</div>
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Google Translate: Seems like a totally awesome idea, but I don't actually use it. Works the best with internet, but I think you can download some offline speech packages, too.</div>
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Phonto: This I use for my RPG mucking about. I'll get to that later. Normal people may safely ignore this App.</div>
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Hi-Q Sound Recorder Paid: I started out with the free one, but quickly found this app so awesome that I paid for the full version. Basically you can record anything you want in super high quality or toggled how you like. You can stop, pause, rename, and reorganize. Everything is in MP3 and you can stick it on your computer. Clean interface. What more do you want? </div>
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The Weather Network: Basically, tells you the weather. Surprisingly helpful.</div>
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Chrome: Pre-installed, but dead useful with internet. The one thing I hate about it are the ads, so I use Firefox as well.</div>
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Firefox: Like a slower version of Chrome but with tons of features like ABP so you get no ads. I hate ads. </div>
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Data On-Off (Cellular Toggle): A bunch of university students made a free app which can toggle on and off your cellular connection. This is one of the most awesome apps ever. Thanks to those who created it. Since going over your data limit costs hundreds/millions of dollars, being able to kill your internet connection in half a second is dead useful. I use this thing all the time.</div>
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Dice Bag: Best dice rolling app. If you don't need to roll dice for RPGs, don't bother.</div>
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RealCalc Premium: This is a totally awesome calculator app I use all the time. It has a load of cool functions like conversions as well as all the standard features. Well, well, worth it.</div>
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Google Currents: My data-hogging and mostly useless 'news' app. It's the one I started with so I've kept it. It's quite likely there's a better one out there and most certainly one which uses less data. In fact, I tend to just look up news unless I'm over wifi.</div>
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Kindle: As far as I'm concerned, the best e-book app around. If you intend to read anything on your tablet, I would recommend getting this app. In fact, there are a number of free titles as well. If you're like me, you do all your reading with real books. I've had A Game of Thrones on my tablet for a few months and still haven't finished it, whereas normally I'd finish a book in a week. That said, if you have your tablet and not a book, it's good to kill time with a good read.</div>
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My Data Manager: The new Nexus 7 already has a built in data monitor in settings. This is awesome. However, having two layers of data checking seemed to make sense so I still installed my old data manager. Shows cool pie charts of how much data you used by any time frame and what was using that data. Very good to have, given overage charges.</div>
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Tune In Radio Pro: Basically, 80,000 radio stations streamed over the internet. With the premium version you can record your favorites. I found an 80's station which played 7 songs I knew in a row before I had to cut the recorder for supper. Very cool.</div>
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Google Pre-installed: Maps, Music, Youtube, Gmail, Chrome, Movies, Settings, Camera, Etc.: Some of these are highly useful, others I barely use, and some are pretty much useless. Since you get all these anyway, why review them?</div>
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Wikipedia: Seems cool, but I never use it.</div>
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Outlook: I had all my e-mails on hotmail which was turned into Outlook. Makes it dead easy for people to hack all your e-mails and personal information in one go. On the other hand, saves me a few seconds of logging into separate accounts to check all my e-mails.</div>
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<b>Crappier Apps (A.K.A. Not on my Home Screen)</b></div>
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Minecraft PE: Probably the best game on Google Play. I haven't bothered to really play it on the new Nexus 7, but I did hack a few Survival Worlds on the original Google Nexus and give myself outrageous stuff while simultaneously terraforming a 'purist' unhacked world. Great for impressing little kids or getting them to steal your tablet.</div>
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Adobe Reader: Dead useful for PDFs and stuff. Really useful even though it's not on the home screen.</div>
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Clock: Alarms for when I have to get up for work. Cool.</div>
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Nes.emu: Play Mario. Nice. I find the controls a real pain, but if you happen to have a nice controller, it could be good.</div>
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Skype: Could be cool. I never use it.</div>
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Punch Quest: I had a lot of fun with this one on my old tablet, but haven't used it at all with the new one. It's a mindless, button-mashing video game with monsters in it. </div>
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This concludes the general-use article. The rest of this article is probably only relevent to RPG gamers. If you are one, read on below:</div>
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<b>RPG Stuff with Nexus 7 FHD:</b></div>
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Okay, here's some cool stuff you can do. In fact, it's quite likely you can do this on a phone or Ipad but it might take more time. Not really sure.</div>
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A. Get Phonto for free. This allows you to put text on pictures. Get Dice Bag for free. This allows you to roll dice of all kinds on your tablet. Get Hi-Q for free to record sounds of dice rolls you can play while using the Dice Bag app. Yeah, I know it's overkill, but so what? Lastly, get Kindle and Challenger RPG or a free Challenger download and something to read it like Adobe.</div>
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B. Now that you have all your tech, head over to RPGnow.com on your browser and download the Challenger RPG character sheet v. 3 or a character sheet for your favorite RPG system. I have a couple, actually.</div>
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C. Take a screenshot of the character sheet and crop/screenshot it again until it fits most of all the screen of Phonto. I.e. tinker with the images until you get your character sheet just how you want it. You can take a screenshot in android by holding the down volume and power button simultaneously. Dead useful for all kinds of stuff.</div>
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D. Load your perfect character sheet from picture Gallery into Phonto and then insert text of any size and font you want to create your character. Use Kindle or your RPG system download to get access to the rules. I would recommend not writing out everything because this would take forever. Instead, just put enough to help you remember key things about your character.</div>
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E. When you're sure your character is done, save the Phonto image to your gallery. Voila, you have a character and all the tools to play an RPG game on your tablet! If you ever need to edit your character, just open the image in Phonto and add stuff. If you run out of room, you can use some kind of blank sheet or whatever to write additional info in a new picture. That, or some kind of note-taking app etc.</div>
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F. Laugh evilly and play RPGs on your tablet. I would like to point out that having a physical book, real character sheets, and real dice is a lot faster and more fun. So much for high technology. That said, it works in a pinch and it's pretty funny to boot.</div>
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Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this article!</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-86387105563409130712013-11-11T10:56:00.002-08:002013-11-24T17:24:48.970-08:00How to Teach a GM to be a Player?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">To:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">I think we can safely assume most GMs know ‘how’ to be a player. The
real challenge is getting them to actually do so ‘properly’. Due to
wielding ultimate power, most GMs have a hard time adjusting to the role
of player. While they might know the books better than anyone, they
also have a harder time adapting to the life of a player than anyone
else; including non-gamers and small children.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">The purpose of this article is not to
teach a GM the rules of RPGs, but to try to give the new GM a chance to
keep them in line, and teach them to be a proper player. As everyone
knows, proper players stick to just one character, wait their turn, play
by the rules, and get along with the other players and NPCs—for the
most part.<br />
<br />
It’s often not very hard to get a GM to try out being a player. Most GMs
are eager to play the games they enjoy with others even if they must
resign themselves to being a player instead of their usual role of
omnipotence. The first step, getting them to play your game, is then
accomplished. Step two will be much harder to implement.<br />
<br />
Secondly, you must find some way to get the GM to give up his usual role
as game creator and let you take over. If the former GM is offering up
descriptions of the land, taking on the roles of important NPCs, adding
elements to the game, changing the rules, skipping people’s turns,
fudging the dice, or hogging the show; you have a major problem on your
hands. Simply freaking out and yelling at the poor man won’t help, he
only thinks he’s adding to the ‘spirit’ of the game. You must find some
in-game or out-of-game way to make him see the error of his ways and
game properly.<br />
<br />
Given the incredible difficulty of step two, I’ll be offering several
remedies below. All have been tested—none work. If you can actually find
something to get a GM to take his rightful place as player, please let
the rest of us know!<br />
<br />
<b>1. Shut up!</b><br />
<br />
Telling the GM to simply ‘shut up’ is often the first remedy a new GM
will come up with. The older, more experienced GM will be sharing his
wisdom both on sports and the campaign world in general. If you yell at
him loudly enough, he’ll see why he never let you GM before: you’re
obviously too immature and irrational.<br />
<br />
Trying to be the bigger man, the former GM will fall silent for five
minutes. During this time, the rest of the players will heave a sigh of
relief and get on with the game. The new GM will feel satisfied at a job
well done, and begin several major monologues. Throughout all of this,
the former GM will be observing the game. He’ll be thinking about all
the countless ways his game is better, how you prattle on too much, and
how all the other player’s strategies are far inferior to his own. At
the end of five minutes, he’ll just have to break his vow of silence
because of the utter stupidity of one of his friend’s actions.<br />
<br />
Even if used effectively, this strategy won’t actually get the former GM
to interact with your game world as a player. I think it’s safe to move
on to another solution.<br />
<b><br />
2. “I’ll only GM if you play properly,” or Threats</b><br />
<br />
The second most commonly employed solution to the GM-as-a-player problem
is to threaten the GM with exclusion from the game, or something else
equally as nasty. I.e. “Play properly, or else your cat dies,” “Play
properly, or I won’t GM,” and “Play properly, or you’ll wreck the game
and you don’t want that.”<br />
<br />
Being a reasonable guy, the GM will quickly agree to your terms. He
wants to be in the game, after all. Unfortunately, this solution depends
on the fact that the GM actually has a choice in the matter of playing
properly or not. Most GMs can’t help themselves. When they see a scene
which needs an extra dragon, they include one. They don’t do this out of
malice, it’s just second nature to them. Fudging a 20 for a critical
hit on the troll can also really suit the scene, and the former GM
always wants to make a great scene.<br />
<br />
Following through on your threat will either quickly end the game, or
leave the former GM feeling helpless and abused. Like a dog who keeps
running in front of semi-trucks, he just doesn’t understand what he’s
doing wrong, and he can’t help himself.<br />
<br />
So, threats are a good idea, but they assume the GM actually has the mental power to change himself. Hah, that’s likely…<br />
<br />
<b>3. Negative XPs</b><br />
<br />
Some cunning GMs will try to teach their former GM how to be a proper
player. This manipulation is often not so subtle. In-game punishments
for a wayward GM can include, but are not limited to: character death,
unfair rules variants, loss of wealth and magic items, suspension of
powers, lack of basic equipment, disease, curses, xp penalties, and
constantly getting attacked by monsters and falling into traps while the
rest of the party gets on with the game.<br />
<br />
A good GM will recognize the new GM’s need for absolute power and so
will allow his character to be demoted and destroyed to no ends. After
all, if he were the GM, he’d expect the same of any reasonable player.
He’ll also quickly get the point if he gets xp penalties for trying to
be the GM.<br />
<br />
That said, the GM will also feel he should get xp awards for doing
‘helpful’ things with your game system and rules. If he doesn’t receive
these just rewards, he’ll find something lacking in your game and won’t
hesitate to point it out to you. Also, even though he’s been getting
penalized for trying to be the GM, he’ll keep trying to do it in an
effort to improve the game, despite the costs to his own character.<br />
<br />
This strategy would probably work if the GM thought like a player.
However, the GM’s whole mentality is to focus on the ebb and flow of the
entire campaign world, and not just the character he happens to be
playing at the time. This weird set of priorities makes this strategy
somewhat less than effective.<br />
<br />
<b>4. Respect</b><br />
<br />
This strategy is more an element of who you are, than an actual
stratagem that you can employ at will. Your former GM probably respects
you no ends as a fellow person and player, but to truly keep him in line
requires that he acknowledge you’re a better, older, and more
experienced GM than himself. Secretly, all GMs think they’re the most
experienced and competent of all GMs on the planet. This makes getting
respect even tougher.<br />
<br />
A senior GM with more years of experience will have the respect of the
former GM. He’ll recognize that this person is older than him, and could
probably punch him in the head really hard. He’ll try his best to bite
his tongue and keep with the theme of the game.<br />
<br />
During game-play, this strategy will probably seem the most effective of
all those mentioned so far. However, after the game, the GM might
comment to the other players (in private) about what he felt lacking in
the game. He’ll explain all the things he would have done differently,
but didn’t bother to mention during the game. Secretly, he’ll always
feel like he should be the GM.<br />
<br />
<b>5. Show her who’s Boss</b><br />
<br />
If you’re former GM has been in the business any length of time, she’ll
probably still feel it’s her right to be the boss of the game, even if
technically you’re the GM. At the start of the game, you can make some
loud announcements about how the new rules in your game will be run and
explain your zero-tolerance policy. A few swift blows from your rubber
bat, or some massive experience point penalties will quickly show your
former GM that you mean business.<br />
<br />
This strategy differs from ‘Threats’ in that your aim is not to punish
the GM for being a GM, but to show the GM that you’re in charge and you
won’t take any flak. The best way to do this is to create a few
arbitrary rules and then enforce them every time. It doesn’t really
matter what rules you make up, but you must make them different than how
your GM usually runs the game. For example, you could outlaw the
Fighter Class and implement a spell failure chance for all mages. You
could also ban combat from your adventures.<br />
<br />
Your former GM will understand what you’re trying to do, but he’ll take
it the opposite way it was intended. He’ll think it’s a sign of
weakness, not strength. He’ll view your arbitrary rule changes as a
feeble attempt to be different than his usual, awesome games. If you
copy all his usual rules, he’ll think you’re mimicking his great style.
Either way, you don’t really get anything.<br />
<br />
This strategy sounds like it would be good, but tends to fail. Your GM
always thinks she’s the boss, and there’s not really much you can do
about it. It’s like trying to get your employer to pretend she’s your
employee. If you can pull this off, quit GMing and go for a pay raise
instead.<br />
<br />
<b>6. Giving him Everything or Giving Up</b><br />
<br />
This last strategy can be called ‘giving the GM everything’ or simply ‘giving up’ if you’re not one to mince words.<br />
<br />
Because the former GM secretly thinks he’s the best at everything, if
you reward his character with the most treasure, experience points,
magic items, and have NPCs falling over themselves with awe at his
awesomeness; he’ll be well pleased. Everything is as it should be.<br />
<br />
While the GM might still find a few minor flaws in the game, he’ll be
happy in the knowledge that he’s so good at the game that being a player
holds no challenge for him. He’ll make it clear he prefers to be a GM,
but its livable being a great hero.<br />
<br />
The GM will make it his goal to become ever more powerful. He won’t
settle for the usual upper echelons of power, but seek even higher
heights. If his character isn’t completely breaking the game, he won’t
be happy or satisfied. At the point where the new GM chucks his books
out the windows in frustration and vows never to be GM again, the former
GM will be happy with his job-well-done as a player.<br />
<br />
This strategy is known to work, but it ticks off all your other players,
and it’s liable to drive you insane. After all, if you’re not quitting
out of frustration, your former GM will still be striving to drive you
over the edge with his power-mongering.<br />
<br />
Step three, assuming you’ve made it this far, your problem now is
getting your GM to return to being a GM. It’s possible, though highly
unlikely, that you’ve trained your GM to like being a player better than
being a GM. If this happens, are you really better off? If you like
being a GM, then you can count yourself lucky. If you just want your old
GM back, you’ll have to beg him to run a few games. Don’t worry,
controlling the universe is heady tonic and it shouldn’t take long for
your GM to get back into the swing of things.<br />
<br />
I’m sorry this article doesn’t really give you any firm answers. Getting a GM to be a player can be a tough thing. If you have a solution, feel free to share it.<b><br /></b></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-8927911593940953162013-11-02T15:07:00.001-07:002013-11-23T13:12:13.747-08:007 Advantages to Retelling your Adventures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Retelling your adventures can be a
lot of fun. You’ll remember things you’d forgotten, laugh at the funny
things everyone did, and it makes for a good story in the process.<br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Some people like to recap all
of their adventures at the start of the next one, some like to brag
about their exploits just after they’ve accomplished the deeds, others
still wait years until they fondly recall what happened on particularly
daring quests. All of these methods are fine and serve different
purposes. It’s even okay if you never mention your adventures again, but
there can be perks to doing so. Outlined below are seven of those
advantages.<br />
<b><br />
1. A Reminder for the GM</b><br />
<br />
One of the best advantages to retelling your adventures soon after
they’ve happened is that it reminds the GM of what was going on. With
all the planning of new adventures, busy lives, and reading rule books
it can be easy for a GM to forget a few important points in his previous
adventures that the players readily remember. <br />
<br />
To maximize the successfulness of this strategy, I’d recommend getting
your recaps within a few days of the next adventure, if not directly
before the next adventure. The problem with last minute recaps is that
they slow down the game before it even gets started. Not only that, but
the GM will find it quite tricky to implement anything he’s forgotten in
the new adventure he’s already written up.<br />
<br />
If you can get your recaps in a couple of days before the next
adventure, you’ll have plenty of time to implement key points and you
won’t have to delay the start of the game session.<br />
<br />
<b>2. A Tool to Develop Characters</b><br />
<br />
The retelling of adventures at any point during the campaign is great
for the development of characters. In the retelling, the players will
reaffirm the personalities and traits of the characters they play. The
other players will be able to give them impressions of their characters,
and they’ll remember anything particularly distinct or interesting
those characters did.<br />
<br />
Sometimes, players won’t even remember which character they were playing
in a campaign, or what the name of that character was, much less that
character’s personality. Use this strategy to fight that.<br />
<br />
A player who constantly retells the stories of his character’s great
deeds is hardly likely to forget who that character was. In fact,
stories have a way of becoming exaggerated and even more outrageous over
time. Soon, the character will take on heroic proportions in the
player’s mind. This may lead to the player trying out some stunts which
are a bit out of his league, but overall it will have a great effect.<br />
<br />
Sometimes, a player will retell the story of what his character did from
a completely different angle than anyone else remembers. This can be
great to give the GM pointers on what this character is truly about.
What everyone remembers as the crazy guy who lit the inn on fire, might
be a character the player pictures as honor-bound and seeking revenge
for his long lost sister.<br />
<br />
The GM should, obviously, watch out for characters who are being
‘over’-developed in the retelling, but for the most part things will
become less confusing for everyone involved when everyone is given the
opportunity to explain themselves properly. Many a time I’ve wondered at
the crazy antics some of the players were enacting in a game I just
ran, only to find out afterwards that I’d missed half of what they’d
been saying or the logical reasons why they were doing something. I’ve
even occasionally misinterpreted what a player says he wanted to do as a
completely different sort of action. Hearing the ‘real’ story can help
you to avoid future mistakes.<br />
<br />
<b>3. An Argument amongst Heroes</b><br />
<br />
Generally, quarrels amongst the players are not a good thing. However,
if everyone is fairly reasonable, a little bit of in-game tension
between the characters can be a great role-playing opportunity. <br />
<br />
One such opportunity is when you have some of the characters retelling
their stories in-game. Given the personalities of the characters
involved, the stories might vary and some of the debates could get
heated. All of this serves to establish the character’s personalities
even further.<br />
<br />
Many times the players will recall things during the telling of the
tale. “Oh yeah, I forgot you owe me money/favors/life, etc.” This can
lead to even more arguments about who actually owes who what and if
someone had their life saved, or if it was just a little bit of help.<br />
<br />
The GM should encourage the players to role-play their tales as their
characters would tell them. One character could be boisterous and
exaggerate all his deeds, another could be shy and downplay his feats,
and a third could be outgoing and leap about the room showing everyone
exactly how he did everything. The reactions of any nearby NPCs could
add drama to the story as well. They might disbelieve the party, think
they’re mad, or come to admire them for their tales.<br />
<b><br />
4. A means to create Rifts and Bonds</b><br />
<br />
Similar to party arguments, the player’s characters can also form rifts
and bonds amongst each other based on their role-playing and the tales
they tell over a drink in the bar. Some characters may become close
comrades while others drift apart or even become rivals.<br />
<br />
This kind of thing can just as easily happen at any time during an
adventure, but the characters will have plenty of time to banter and
relax at their favorite inn which they might not have in the bush or a
dungeon while they’re fighting for their lives.<br />
<br />
It’s a good time for them to get drunk and spill all their secrets,
opinions, and life stories. If the characters don’t drink, that’s fine
too, it’s the gist of the thing that’s important.<br />
<br />
<b>5. A Spur for the GM’s Imagination</b><br />
<br />
In-game or out-of-game, a creative GM will find no ends of material in
the tales of his players. Their opinions, ideas, fears, hopes, and more
can all be used in future adventures to great effect. Having the
combined creativity of ten people is much better than just one, and a
savvy GM will take advantage of that fact.<br />
<br />
If the players are talking of a particular NPC they just loath, the GM
can develop that character into a villain, adversary, or a thorn in
their sides.<br />
<br />
If they recall a character who was really funny, you can include that
character in special appearances on future quests. You might even flesh
out the character more.<br />
<br />
If the players all loved a particular magic power or magic item, you
might make it a possibility they can claim that power or item in a
future adventure. Who gets to keep it could be an entirely different
story.<br />
<br />
If the players have forgotten all of the adventure except for certain
parts, pay attention to those parts! They’re the parts the players
enjoyed or hated the most and you should take cues on that for your
future adventures. Sometimes the players just remember the parts where
they were being awesome, but even that’s a lesson in what the players
enjoy and you can figure out how to work more of it into future
adventures without making your campaign a complete giveaway. Even
better, if they really enjoyed some part of the adventure which didn’t
involve power or stealing loads of gold, you can build on that without
ruining your game.<br />
<br />
<b>6. A Record of the Game</b><br />
<br />
Some players may even go so far as the chronicle their quests in an epic
logbook of the entire campaign. This is great. You can go back on the
log at any time and see what was going on in the past story of the
campaign. Some GMs do this out of habit because it’s so effective and
handy. As long as the player doesn’t have a skewed view of what was
happening, you could get some really good information out of these logs
for future adventures.<br />
<br />
Players will often create pictures of important characters and events
and possibly maps or other devices as well. All of these can be really
handy to help people remember what was going on and further define the
campaign’s characters and events.<br />
<b><br />
7. Having Fun</b><br />
<br />
For all the great things retelling adventures can do, the number one
advantage is that it’s great fun. Some players have said they enjoy the
tales of their great adventures more than the games themselves. If you
have a great game that’s a lot of fun, and telling the story is even
‘more’ fun, what’s stopping you?</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-31645400056760397672013-10-19T06:57:00.003-07:002013-10-25T20:25:25.801-07:00How to Design a Village in 8 Easy Steps<span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="dev-content-normal" height="361" src="http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/209/1/f/medieval_city___symbol_test_by_darthasparagus-d6fjc8b.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; top: 0px;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image used under a Creative Commons license:<a href="http://darthasparagus.deviantart.com/art/Medieval-City-Symbol-Test-388893611">Image Link</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">I know I haven't been posting up these articles here like I said I would, but I was just busy. I'm hoping to get to them (in reverse order) over the following weeks.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Also, it's worth noting that I'm no longer a columnist on En World, so if miss the columns there, then feel free to bug the management to rehire me.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">You can find all the old columns right away in the archived pages on the En World's column page. I think mine go back all the way to the first page.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">*** </span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Most GMs, at some point in their
illustrious careers, will have to design a village. What at first
appears to be a ridiculously easy task will, on closer inspection, turn
out to ‘be’ a ridiculously easy task. In case you’re designing your
village at 2 a.m. and can’t think straight, there’s always this handy
guide to help you remember if you missed something.<br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>1. Reason for Existing</b><br />
<br />
Thanks to @Hand of Evil for this fine idea. <br />
<br />
First off, it would make great sense to figure out why someone would
build a village here in the first place. Is it at a location of rich
natural abundance? Is it near good farmland? Is there a mine or other
interesting locale around?<br />
<br />
Most villages aren't just built somewhere for no reason. Even if the
reason is just that the village is along a trade route or houses the
families of the men who man the wall. The reason the village exists can
even help you to figure out a name for the village.<b><br />
<br />
2. Name the Village</b><br />
<br />
The most important part of creating a village is the name. If you’re too
lazy to bother with naming the village, then you might as well do what
the rest of us GMs do and just make everything up as you go along. If
you have the skill to do this, you most definitely don’t need this
article in the least. You can probably only use it as some mild
amusement as to the crazy antics that lesser GMs get up to. “Ha, the guy
needs a whole guide just to create one simple village? I can do that in
ten seconds. It’s a village and it’s got a pub. There, took me two
seconds.”<br />
<br />
The first problem you’re run into when creating a name for a village is
that your handy name generator just gives you character names and it
would be really weird if the village were named “Bilbo” or “Bobby
McGuire.” If you’re particularly creative, you might take the time to
actually write down a secret page of village/location names. Then all
you have to do is pick and choose or roll your dice. Rolling your dice
is probably the better option as it will scare the pants off the
players.<br />
<br />
Regardless, you’ll still have to come up with some good village names
sooner or later. If you actually coordinate the village names in your
kingdoms, then you’re way ahead of the game. So far ahead, in fact, that
the players probably won’t even notice your effort. No, what we’re
aiming for here is a name that won’t immediately be ridiculed such as
“Dell, Cheerios, or Hamburger.”<br />
<br />
Designing this interesting, unique, and yet not-too-complicated name
will require some effort. Probably about 5 seconds worth, actually. Try
to think up something random sounding and vaguely foreign. Then try to
pronounce it properly under your breath and see if it sounds completely
ludicrous or inappropriate. If it passes this test, you have your
village name. <br />
<br />
Good village names: Castle-bar, Clover-down, Ixtiwickthick-o.<br />
<br />
Bad village names: Jonathan, Nike, Free75, Google.<br />
<br />
<b>3. Determine the Location of the Village</b><br />
<br />
The second most important thing is to figure out exactly where the
village is in relation to everything else. The best way to do this is to
create a map of the campaign. This is a single blank piece of paper. On
this map, create a small dot or something better if you’re feeling
artistic. I can usually handle a tiny picture of a house which looks
like what an 8-year-old would draw in techni-color with crayons. In the
map legend, or directly under this icon, place the name of the village
in some kind of legible way. If you scrawl it too tiny, the village name
might change all the time.<br />
<br />
If you don’t have a map, or you don’t have time to add the village to
the map, just use vagueness as your friend. “The village is somewhere to
the east of the center of the world. That’s all you know.” Unless the
party has complex magic or mapping tools at their disposal, you should
be able to get away with this. After all, Google Maps hasn’t been
invented yet, right? One more reason fantasy campaigns can be easier to
run than sci-fi ones. However, “You’re lost in space,” is a great line,
too.<br />
<br />
Using vagueness, you can then later fill in an arbitrary location for
the village when it suits you. Also, you can subtly reposition it to
strand the party in the middle of an inescapable desert.<br />
<br />
<b>4. Points of Interest</b><br />
<br />
Good villages will have at least one point of interest, and some will
have several or more. Sometimes you can create an interesting village
with no particular points of interest. Especially if you don’t want the
party to waste 3 hours shopping around and talking to locales when they
could be getting eaten by a bear in the wilderness or falling down deep
pits in the dungeon.<br />
<br />
Points of interest can be just about anything. So long as they’re
interesting—they qualify. Usually, these points of interest are static
locations, but they can also move around or be hidden. A thieves’ guild,
a town hall, a local pub, a smithy, a stable, a general store, a
healing temple, a wizard’s tower, a fortification, and more can all be
points of interest. These locations all share one thing in common: they
are places the players will be drawn to at some point. These are the
places in the village where things happen. Even a haunted farm can be a
point of interest.<br />
<br />
Good points of interest often have a benefit to the players. If it’s
where the power is, the players will want to discuss things with the
village leaders. This could be missions, pay, problems, pleas, or
anything else the players want to get done.<br />
<br />
A guard-station would be a source of aid to the players, or where they
end up repeatedly for breaking the law. A healing temple would be
frequented for obvious reasons. Magical aid is in high demand, so any
kind of wizard’s academy or tower will be a point of interest. Shops and
markets also make good points of interest because the players need to
buy supplies and equipment. If there’s some place the players can
compete in challenges or tournaments, this would also be a good point of
interest.<br />
<br />
You can even create more specialized points of interest with a little
work. It could be that all major deals go down behind a certain bakery.
Maybe the thieves control the town from the basements the town was built
on. Perhaps a local monster holds the village elders under its power
and lives in a pile of pig defecation. Your options are practically
limitless. Just remember to make sure the point of interest has
something of value to the players in it. Otherwise, they might never
discover your cool creation, or might ignore it completely.<br />
<b><br />
5. Key People</b><br />
<br />
Very similar to points of interest, there can also be several key people
in the village. These people will either hold a lot of power, be
interesting personalities, or hold some agenda influencing the
adventure. <br />
<br />
Some examples of key people are: the mayor, the local baron, the guard
captain, the wizard, the high priest, the witch, the merchant, or anyone
else the players will have reason to deal with. Obviously, anyone who
holds a great deal of power or a high position could potentially be of
great interest to the players. The local judge might be physically and
mentally weak, but if he controls the law of the land he can be a very
important person to know.<br />
<br />
Some people might not hold any power, influence, or goods—but could
still be of great interest to the players. A mad hermit, a village fool,
a beggar, a crazy man, a funny farmer, a wandering minstrel, or a lost
knight. All of these people could be great NPCs.<br />
<br />
On occasion you won’t have key people written up for your village. Other
times, the players might gravitate towards someone you hadn’t planned
to be special. Don’t let that stop you. Create a name and quick
personality for that key person and develop him or her. The barkeeper
could suddenly become a very important person to the players, as could a
random peasant, or a little girl. Provided they want to role-play with
this character, many bit characters can quickly gain much larger parts.
Some players are also fond of recruiting NPCs even if those NPCs don’t
seem to have any special skills or abilities to begin with. It’s up to
the GM to further develop those characters.<br />
<br />
<b>6. Adventure</b><br />
<br />
A good village also has several locations which might be the basis for
adventures or interesting encounters. Not every village need be filled
with intrigues and monsters, but some can certainly make for great
adventures. Always remember that you don’t need to confine your
adventures only to the dungeons and the wilderness. The amount of
adventure you can pack into a small village is only limited by your
creativity and imagination.<br />
<br />
Sometimes the players just want to rest and heal in the village. That’s
okay. You don’t need to have the inn constantly attacked by savage
monsters.<br />
<br />
It’s a good policy to know where the local dungeons are situated,
strange magical wastelands, haunted forests, and so forth. You don’t
have to have every landmark filled with monsters, but merely hinting at
supposedly haunted castles will quickly put the players on edge.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>7. Special Events and Quirks</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Thanks to <a class="g-profile" href="http://plus.google.com/116844626171357581496" target="_blank">+Robert Bondoni</a> for this suggestion: You should also consider if the village has any particular quirks that set it apart from other villages such as a strong favoring of one religion, blue tiles on all the floors, doors carved with intricate patterns so you can find the keyhole when you're drunk, or a tournament which happens to be running at a particular time when the players might show up.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Some of the special events you could add to your village include: tournaments, archery competitions, wizard conferences, market days, feasts, seasonal festivals, duels, public speeches, civil wars, gang fights, celebrations, weddings, coronations, and anything else you can imagine. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br />
8. Add Your Own Elements</b><br />
<br />
Any good village has a few elements all its own. You can’t really fill
all your villages with key people and points of interest and then hope
the players will enjoy them. Villages are part of living and breathing
worlds. They trade with other villages, supply cities, support castles,
and are a place to live. The locals will have opinions on the government
and what’s happening in the world. Some people might have heard of the
player’s characters, others might not. Always try to include a special
element in your best villages.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Another way to design a village at: <a href="http://recedingrules.blogspot.jp/2013/01/easy-d-village-maps.html">http://recedingrules.blogspot.jp/2013/01/easy-d-village-maps.html</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.challengerrpg.com/2013/10/free-rpg-e-book-thats-not-mine.html">A free RPG E-Book (That's not Mine)</a> <br />
</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-12158716107047714802013-10-19T06:50:00.000-07:002013-10-19T06:52:17.191-07:00Free RPG E-book (That's Not Mine)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img class="image-stretch-horizontal frontImage" id="imgBlkFront" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512O2dkj61L._SX258_PJlook-inside-v2,TopRight,1,0_SH20_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" style="left: 0px; max-height: 335px; max-width: 260px; position: absolute; top: 0px;" /> </div>
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<br />
Whilst I was cruising around Amazon the other day I noticed two cool things: 1. my book has returned to the price of free, and 2. there's a book called Basic Fantasy selling at cost in the Books section of Amazon.com.<br />
<br />
I checked out the 'look inside' preview and read some of the reviews. Soon I found out that it was a remake of the original D&D designed by a load of people who were giving it away for free along with many adventures and other fine resources on their website at <a href="http://www.basicfantasy.org/downloads.html">http://www.basicfantasy.org/downloads.html</a>.<br />
<br />
I already own the original D&D books, but if you haven't ever read them before and you're on a budget, this might be the remake to check out. There are a few minor changes from the original, but they're mostly pretty cool, and a savvy GM should be able to fix anything which is seriously messing up the game. Also, even if you're not interested in the game itself, it would be great for ideas.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-66329270772334780402013-10-15T23:16:00.001-07:002013-11-23T13:14:30.421-08:00Challenger on Amazon <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcHWsC42rEPHphgxZWVzvXPK3X7XqkNGyHnKFOLkBIO7pXDfFTS5AxHXqegHhU9z_0YonLsUg2ZYQ9r_vBtFe9yERl69jsVH6xYqT2nVypew42AjnT_eU0GZKOoCR5CNRRVPfBysr9DSC/s1600/100_3589%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcHWsC42rEPHphgxZWVzvXPK3X7XqkNGyHnKFOLkBIO7pXDfFTS5AxHXqegHhU9z_0YonLsUg2ZYQ9r_vBtFe9yERl69jsVH6xYqT2nVypew42AjnT_eU0GZKOoCR5CNRRVPfBysr9DSC/s320/100_3589%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I recently noticed that Amazon has started selling my e-book for $2.99 again instead of the usual price of free. I'd just like everyone to know that I had no hand in this and sent in a request to get it returned to $0.00, but they may have changed how their price matching guarantee works.<br />
<br />
<br />
If the price remains paid, I may eventually go back to including the book ten times over in the document so that it can be downloaded for free in the sample. At the moment, I don't have a lot of time to mess around with that. Perhaps when I do a revision of the book?<br />
<br />
In the meantime, Challenger still seems to be free everywhere else. Thanks for your understanding!<br />
<br />
All the Best,<br />
<br />
--DavidAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-18555242173069342512013-09-10T17:51:00.001-07:002013-11-23T12:49:42.895-08:002013 Challenger RPG Tournament: Results<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfopjOwnlJ2efIYQm0h08LotFhun-d2RBPfg-v8Ip2h-7beodXW_tWZSZCK5iqVJRhV8PMwrE3A6vScyVUDPt3d06EVvsM9gzOfyZYLVhhI7jkHNIGD-T6wxTFozxVzJmnY6vN0yPGFHki/s1600/100_3617%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfopjOwnlJ2efIYQm0h08LotFhun-d2RBPfg-v8Ip2h-7beodXW_tWZSZCK5iqVJRhV8PMwrE3A6vScyVUDPt3d06EVvsM9gzOfyZYLVhhI7jkHNIGD-T6wxTFozxVzJmnY6vN0yPGFHki/s320/100_3617%5B1%5D.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you to everyone who submitted their characters for this competition. It wouldn’t have been possible without your efforts. Below is the summary of the tournament, as played, with the results therein.<br /><br />I shall be contacting the winner of the tournament shortly with a request for a PayPal invoice for $100.00. If you’re the winner, congratulations!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">***</span></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />A Pixie in a bar ordered a huge ale which was about ten times bigger than him. Beside him sat a man-sized pig wearing a tuxedo and a human carrying a beehive and half a dragon’s den of gold and jewels.<br /><br />The man ordered a few drinks and passed one to his crazy old mage. The pig acted gentlemanly.<br /><br />The doors to the bar burst open and a tall, blue alien walked into the room. He was clad all in a black mantle and wore a cloth over his left eye with a swirling pattern emblazoned into it. Two, double-barreled pistols rested on his back.<br /><br />“You can’t have an ale,” the bartender said to the fairy.<br /><br />“Oh yeah?” the fairy’s wings crackled with electricity. “Just try to stop me, punk.”<br /><br />The alien walked over methodically and Zane Darkstar, the man, shoved a chair in his way. He mechanically hopped over it, showing no signs of emotion. “I have a mission for a few good men,” said the alien. “My name is Lenoir, and if you accompany me, it will go well with you.”<br /><br />Everyone stared as a book and a set of gauntlets flew into the room. The book was huge and clearly magical. It muttered, “What the heck happened? Who am I? Where am I? Oh yes, my name is Alden, other than that, I don’t know.”<br /><br />The alien gave him a calculated look. “You can come.” He pointed at the fairy and the man with the dragon jewels. “I’m impressed with you two as well.”<br /><br />Echo, the fairy, burped as he drank his ale. “Okay, I’m in.”<br /><br />Zane Darkstar folded his arms. “How much will you pay?”<br /><br />“The quest,” said Lenoir, “Is for the Holy Grail. It will be well worth it.”<br /><br />“I seek only my identity,” said the floating book.<br /><br />The fairy nodded his agreement, “I need to find out who my parents were. It seems we’ve both lost parts of our minds.”<br /><br />“More than that,” the book flipped its pages to illustrate the point.”<br /><br />“Come then.” Lenoir led them outside to his waiting spaceship and they all flew to an impenetrable chasm before the Holy Grail. It was guarded by a frail looking old man who was exceedingly ugly.<br /><br />“You must answer all three of his questions,” said Lenoir. “Or he will cast you into the River of Death.”<br /><br />The fairy was the first to fly over.<br /><br />The bridge-man smiled. “What is your name?”<br /><br />“Echo the Earthshaker.”<br /><br />“What is your quest?”<br /><br />“To find out who I am. Also, who my parents were. I seek the fairies to do this.”<br /><br />“Who are your parents?”<br /><br />“Some people, I expect.”<br /><br />The bridge-man nodded. “Go ahead.”<br /><br />Zane Darkstar was the next to approach. “Ask me your questions, bridge-man, I’m not scared.”<br /><br />“What is your name?”<br /><br />“Zane Darkstar.”<br /><br />“What is your quest?”<br /><br />“To find the Holy Grail.”<br /><br />“How many gold pieces fit into a bag of holding considering that each weighs 1 tenth of a pound?”<br /><br />“1 billion.”<br /><br />Zane Darkstar screamed as he was flung into the river of death. The bridge-man fell asleep and Lenoir and Alden the book made it past with no trouble. On the far side they threw down a rope and pulled up their ally, Zane Darkstar. He was soaking wet and none-too-happy. “Silly old man, I know my gold, that’s the right amount.”<br /><br />The four heroes gazed with awe and greed upon the Holy Grail atop a steel pedestal before them. Their heroic beliefs were temporarily warped by the need to claim the book first.<br /><br />“Mine,” screamed Echo. His mother had been a Rarair Thief and his blood was hot with lust for this great treasure. He reached the cup first and laughed. He tried to pick it up, but it was ten times his size and he couldn’t even make it wobble.<br /><br />“Out of my way,” said Lenoir. He smacked the fairy into a wall and held up the cup like he was winning a quidditch championship. “I will now use the power of this chalice to rule the universe!”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">***Zane Darkstar Vs. Echo Earthshaker***</span></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As Alden rushed to stop Lenoir, Zane Darkstar confronted Echo. “It’s time to roast a greedy little fairy.” His eyes blazed as everything around him ignited. He started to suck in the fiery power.<br /><br />“A pyromancer,” gasped Echo. “I must use all my skills.” He broke out several crystal globes and released several will-o-the-wisps. Next, he chucked his bag of fairy powder about himself. His shadowed form resembled a huge angel with twin lightning bolts he’d just created in each hand.<br /><br />Zane Darkstar was stunned for a moment. “How did he get so big?” He continued to feed off of the flames in preparation for roasting the fairy.<br /><br />Echo tossed both his lightning bolts with struck Zane true. Zane faltered but kept his concentration. He blasted a huge mass of flame at Echo, but the small fairy flew directly upwards at incredible speed, managing to barely survive the singing attack.<br /><br />From on high, Echo fired a tiny, sigil-tipped arrow which struck the pyromancer on the top of the head. Zane Darkstar fell over, unconscious.<br /><br />Echo pumped his tiny fist in victory and grunted as if he was a huge man. Using his newfound experience points he taught himself a new attack called Nova, unbeknownst to anyone else.</span></span><br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">***Lenoir Vs. Alden***</span></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Meanwhile, Lenoir and Alden had not been sitting idle. The book started to chant an eldritch combat magic as Lenoir pulled out his twin pistols.<br /><br />Lenoir took aim and fired on the book. The shots struck true. What would have killed any normal man merely caused the book great pain.<br /><br />Using herculean strength of will, Alden maintained his concentration and let loose with a fireball. Combined with his ancient magic and the extra focus of a spell blast, it knocked Lenoir to the floor at one blow.<br /><br />The book flew over to hover over the alien. “Thank goodness, I guess I’ve just saved the cosmos from whatever this guy was planning.” He looked down and saw the smoking harness worn beneath Lenoir’s suit. It was beeping as if about to explode. “Uh oh.”<br /><br />Alden flew over to a rock and climbed under it. He then laid protective sigils to protect himself from nuclear bombs.<br /><br />There was a huge blast which obliterated everything in a hundred miles. The book crawled out of the ashes and pet the sweet earth with its pages. “I’m allliiiiiivee!”<br /><br />Sadly, Echo was nothing but a burnt crisp on a wall.<br /><br />The Will-o-the-wisps flew into the tiny fairy and revitalized him.<br /><br />The book cast a few spells to heal the bullet holes.<br /><br />It was time for the final showdown. The winner of this confrontation would be the champion of the tournament.</span></span><br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">***Alden Vs. Echo***</span></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />“The Grail can be possessed by no man,” said Alden.<br /><br />“Hey, I’m a fairy, bub.” Echo flexed his piddly muscles. “Besides, it’s way too sparkly for me not to steal it.”<br /><br />Alden became a little worried. He’d already used all his most powerful magics, leaving him drained and weakened. He came up with a quick ball of flame and shot it at the fairy. <br /><br />Echo darted out of the way and started to surge with electrical power as he flew into the sky. With each passing second, more and more lightning was absorbed into his tiny body. The very air fizzled with the power of the awesome nova to come.<br /><br />Alden quickly put some rune sigils of lightning protection on himself.<br /><br />Echo didn’t notice and kept building up his immense power.<br /><br />The book tossed a ball of acid and melted Echo’s left wing.<br /><br />Echo finally unleased his massive lightning bolt. After the ringing stopped, the book was still floating there.<br /><br />Alden chuckled. He tossed another ball of acid which the fairy dodged.<br /><br />Echo drew his own magical sigil upon himself and transformed into Muhammad Ali, then punched the book.<br /><br />“So that’s how you want to fight?” said Alden. “Fine.” He flew over and whacked himself into the great fighter’s head.<br /><br />Echo returned to his normal form. He screamed and shot his tiny bow. <br /><br />The arrow stuck in the book with little effect.<br /><br />Alden flew over and slammed both sides of his pages, sandwiching the small fairy between them.<br /><br />From within the tome, Echo cast a rotting spell on the pages.<br /><br />Alden spat him out and rammed him into the dirt.<br /><br />Echo felt the wind knocked out of him, but there was still fight left in him. The electricity surging in his bones was the only thing still keeping him alive. He quickly scrawled a rune of metal control.<br /><br />As the book pressed him into the dirt, grinding out his life, the metal pedestal of the Grail flew over and slammed down hard on the book. Echo wriggled free at the last second.<br /><br />The book sighed. “At least tell me who my father was.”<br /><br />Echo shrugged. “His name was Bob.” He glanced down at the melted puddle that was the Grail. He sighed. “Well, I’m off.” He hesitated. The bodies of Zane Darkstar and Lenoir were gone. He’d known all along that Zane Darkstar was only knocked out, but how had Lenoir managed to move his spaceship when he’d been vaporized by a nuclear explosion?<br /><br />As the fairy flew off into the sunset, rune-encrusted gauntlets flew over to the metal pedestal and heaved it off…</span></span><br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">***</span></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Congratulations, Mr. Bowden and Echo the Earthshaker. You have just won the 2013 Challenger RPG Tournament and one-hundred dollars. If you’d be so kind as to send me a PayPal invoice to challenger_rpg@hotmail.com I will attempt to send you your winnings ASAP. Please forgive any delays, as I’m a little new to PayPal.<br /><br />Everyone else, thank you for the hard work you put into your characters. I and my playtesters really enjoyed reading and playing them. I hope they have many great adventures beyond this one, and a chance to achieve their lofty goals.<br /><br />I apologize if anyone’s character was misrepresented in any way. This was just how we ended up role-playing these characters. I, as referee, attempted to keep the battles fair with small advantages given to well-developed characters. It may not appear this way in the text (i.e. missed turns, etc.) but some of it was edited for reasons of length and clarity.<br /><br />Again, thanks for contributing to the tournament!<br /><br />All the Best,<br /><br />--David L. Dostaler</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Special thanks to Zane Darkstar for having such a cool list of equipment. I think everyone enjoyed at least one part of it: whether it was the instant kill sword, the asthmatic +2 horse of speed, the half a dragon hoard of jewels and gold, or the evil socks (?). </span></span><br />
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</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Equipment:<br />
5 deadly shrooms<br />
A bee hive<br />
1 whole, cooked pig<br />
Half a dragon's den of gold/jewels<br />
35 magic enhancing rocks<br />
2d10 wand of healing<br />
Evil Amulet (does +7 passive damage against Good-aligned characters. Always
on.)<br />
Socks of Evil. ?<br />
Black, steel longsword (Thorinsgaet, Bringer of Storms)<br />
Bobo the Hobo (Possesses a dagger which literally drips with evil. Extremely
dangerous)<br />
Brown horse of +2 speed (slightly asthmatic)<br />
Crazy Old Mage (specializes in explosive runes.)<br />
Enchanted Wooden Sword (+5 Attack, +10 damage.)<br />
5 exploding Shurikens (d12 damage each.)<br />
Sword of AllDamage (100% chance of instant kill. 50/50 chance to kill self.)<br />
Cookies<br />
5 pink potions (cause the drinker to grow a long, luscious tail)<br />
Gentleman Pig [Henchman] (Wears a Tux and Top hat. +1A, +1D, 3HP and +12
diplomacy)<br />
30 pieces of Horse Jerky (restores 1HP each)<br />
1 Awe Inspiring Gem.<br />
Large Bag of Iron Nails.<br />
Ring of Magic Concealment.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
Background: (as rolled up)<br />
Outlaw, destroyed his village in a bar fight.<br />
Good at starting fires.<br />
Very unhealthy (-1 to max HP)<br />
Character Traits:<br />
Sarcastic.<br />
Difficult to earn his trust.<br />
Unfailingly loyal to those he does trust.<br />
</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-66457611152587249342013-07-22T13:19:00.000-07:002013-11-23T13:16:37.298-08:00Challenger RPG 2013 Tournament<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZultrUXpQU35XfxJKZuwKCrw43mbyvryg90PQOwAt6uSL3xNPR4eexmPQq0wVCjY5ifZ5u_AnPirSsnpk6VWnHQST3zZfdVfy4zAE95wsAWxxdlm3y7DpWBxsSDtCnAGiUYjHiRXnISKu/s1600/100_3616%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZultrUXpQU35XfxJKZuwKCrw43mbyvryg90PQOwAt6uSL3xNPR4eexmPQq0wVCjY5ifZ5u_AnPirSsnpk6VWnHQST3zZfdVfy4zAE95wsAWxxdlm3y7DpWBxsSDtCnAGiUYjHiRXnISKu/s320/100_3616%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">This isn't a sure thing, but I really want to run a tournament for Challenger. Given the difficulty of running and coordinating online games on a global scale, I was thinking anyone interested in the competition could send in a single character of 1st level. If at least ten characters are entered, my mostly unbiased design crew would then run a fight between all of the submitted characters with myself as referee. The winner among all the competing characters (Round Robin style) would then be named champion. The person responsible for creating that character would then be awarded $100 cash through PayPal. This would be provided that there are at least ten entries, the recipient is able to receive funds through PayPal, and I can actually figure out how to operate PayPal.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">The rules for the competition are as follows:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">#1: Only one entry per person.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">#2: All characters must be first level.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">#3: You agree that the competition will be run however we see fit and not necessarily 'by the rules'. Advantages will be given to characters with cool concepts, cool portraits, and cool magic items you just made up.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">#4: All characters must be Challenger RPG characters. Challenger can be downloaded for free all over the internet, so you have no excuse for not entering.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">#5: Entries will be open from July 22, 2013 to August 31, 2013. The winner will be announced on September 10, 2013. If there were at least ten entries, the prize money will be awarded as soon as possible and to the best of my ability. This may require that you send me a PayPal invoice for $100. Competition entries should be sent to: challenger_rpg@hotmail.com.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">#6: Unless otherwise specified, all entries will be open to being posted up on the internet in a summary of the battles which took place. I.e. unless you request otherwise, I will reveal your character name/abilities on the internet, and your placing in the tournament.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">#7: Any entry may be disqualified for any reason. This, however, is highly unlikely. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">#8: You may equip your character with as much gold, variant powers, magic items, or other devices as you wish. Doing so will not give you an undue advantage unless we think the additions are cool.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">All rules and formalities aside, I think it would be really cool to run a Challenger tournament and post up the results as a short narrative on the website. Everyone could then see what the creative people out there are doing with Challenger.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Don't feel constrained by the rules with your entries. Feel free to add in cool powers or magic items. Anything unbalanced will be mitigated by the competition referees and adventure 'circumstances'.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Photocopies of character sheets, e-mailed statistics, and such are all good. If I can read it, you're in.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Please send all competition entries to: <b>challenger_rpg@hotmail.com</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I'll try to send you a confirmation e-mail when I can, but I'm heading on vacation in the bush for the next 3 weeks, so don't worry if I don't reply right away.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">***Challenger News***</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b> </b></span></span><br />
<br />
I've been really busy lately with work and writing a weekly column on
En World: RPG News and Reviews. That said, I'm still waiting on the
artwork for the Kingdoms of Sileeria project. I've seen a few pieces,
and they look pretty cool. The artist said she's decided to just 'create
what she feels like' so I hope that works for everyone involved in the
project!<br />
<br />
I still have some material to work into Challenger when I get the time, so keep the great feedback coming!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-21782065781529123012013-03-10T20:33:00.001-07:002013-11-23T13:19:42.397-08:00Adventure Ideas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4Te9GBtUyFIrHw8cd4Yfg2VU8nFPtWQcOs42jwaPgl0XfzMO-2C-MM9j9d_mc1HIYgRwMwMG9NUk8EyNHREFB1288mcd-zFMwOQLJwNtXJY4gLg4IvXa6QHPz9sCuKXpRBr8NGVHyt23/s1600/100_3653%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4Te9GBtUyFIrHw8cd4Yfg2VU8nFPtWQcOs42jwaPgl0XfzMO-2C-MM9j9d_mc1HIYgRwMwMG9NUk8EyNHREFB1288mcd-zFMwOQLJwNtXJY4gLg4IvXa6QHPz9sCuKXpRBr8NGVHyt23/s320/100_3653%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i> </i></span></span></span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>The below is a massive list of very cool adventure ideas from the awesome <b>Zach Raber</b>. <span style="font-size: large;">This work is totally copyrighted to him, but he's very kindly given me permission to present it here for your reading pleas<span style="font-size: large;">u<span style="font-size: large;">re</span>. I hope you enjoy his <span style="font-size: large;">great work as much as I did.</span></span></span></i> </span></span></span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-size: x-large;">Adventure Ideas</span></span></span></span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">by</span></span></span></span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Zach Raber</span> </span> </span></span></span></h3>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Any Old Port in a Storm </span></span></span></b></h2>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The PCs are seeking shelter from the elements or some other threat, and come across a place to hole up. They find that they have stumbled across something dangerous, secret, or supernatural, and must then deal with it in order to enjoy a little rest.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The shelter contains the cause of the threat the PCs were trying to avoid. The shelter houses a Hidden Base (q.v.). The PCs must not only struggle for shelter, they must struggle to survive. The place is a legitimate shelter of some kind, but the PCs are not welcome, and must win hearts or minds to earn their bed for the night.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Better Late Than Never</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some bad guys have arrived and done some bad guy things. The PCs were none the wiser. The bad guys have now made good their escape, and the PCs have caught wind of it in time to chase them down before they make it back to their lair, their home nation, behind enemy lines, etc.</span></span></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The bad guys escaped by stealing a conveyance that the PCs know better than they do. The bad guys duck down a metaphorical (or literal) side-road, trying to hide or blend into an environment (often one hostile to the PCs). If the bad guys cross the adventure's "finish line" (cross the county line, make the warp jump, etc.) there's no way to pursue them beyond it.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Blackmail</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Usually through trickery (but sometimes by digging into the PCs' past), an antagonist has something to hold over the heads of the PCs and make them jump. This could be any kind of threat from physical to social, but it depends on the villain having something - even if it's information - that others don't have. Now, he is pulling the strings of the PCs, telling them to do things they don't want to. The PCs must end the cycle of blackmail, deprive the villain of his edge, and keep him temporarily satisfied while doing it.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The adventure hook involves the PCs doing the villain a good turn, which allows him to take advantage of them (very cynical!). To succeed, the PCs must contact other folks that are also being used. The PCs aren't the victims at all, but somebody they care about/are charged to protect, is.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Breaking and Entering</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Mission objective: enter the dangerous place, and retrieve the vital dingus or valuable person. Overcome the area's defenses to do so.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The goal is not to extract a thing, but to destroy a thing or interfere with a process (kill the force-screen generator, assassinate the evil king, stop the spell from being cast, wreck the invasion plans, close the portal). The goal has moved. The goal is information, which must be broadcast or otherwise released from the area as soon as it is found. The job must be done without alerting anyone. The PCs don't know the place is dangerous. The PCs must replace the thing with another thing.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Capture the Flag</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The PCs must secure a military target for the good guys. There are bad guys there that prefer not to be secured. The fundamental tactical scenario.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The PCs must assemble and/or train a force to do the job with them. The PCs are working with flawed intelligence and the target zone isn't as described. The PCs must coordinate their own efforts with an ally group (possibly putting aside rivalries to do so). The target zone includes a population of innocent people, fragile goods, or some other precious thing that mustn't be harmed in the crossfire.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Clearing The Hex</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />There is a place where bad things live. The PCs must make it safe for nice people, systematically clearing it of danger.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The bad things can't be beaten with direct conflict. The PCs must learn more about them to solve the problem. The Haunted House. The Alien Infestation. The Wild Forest.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Delver's Delight</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The PCs are treasure-hunters, who have caught wind of a treasure-laden ruin. They go to explore it, and must deal with its supernatural denizens to win the treasure and get out alive.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The treasure itself is something dangerous. The treasure isn't in a ruin, but in a wilderness or even hidden somewhere "civilized." The treasure is someone else's rightful property. The treasure turns out to have a will of its own.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Don't Eat The Purple Ones</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The PCs are stranded in a strange place, and must survive by finding food and shelter, and then worry about getting back home.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />Common Twists & Themes</b>: The PCs must survive only for a short period of time, until help arrives, the ship and/or radio is repaired, or some such thing (in "repair" scenarios, sometimes the PCs must discover some fact about the local environment that will make such repairs possible).</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Elementary, My Dear Watson</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />A crime or atrocity has been committed; the PCs must solve it. They must interview witnesses (and prevent them from being killed), gather clues (and prevent them from being stolen or ruined). They must then assemble proof to deliver to the authorities, or serve as personal ministers of justice.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The PCs are working to clear an innocent already accused (possibly themselves). The PCs must work alongside a special investigator or are otherwise saddled with an unwanted ally. Midway through the adventure, the PCs are "taken off the case" - their invitation/authority to pursue the matter is closed (often the result of political maneuvering by an antagonist). The climax is a courtroom scene or other arena of judgment. The scale is highly variable for this type of adventure, from a small-town murder to a planetwide pollution scandal.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Escort Service</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The PCs have a valuable object or person, which needs to be taken to a safe place or to its rightful owner, etc. They must undertake a dangerous journey in which one or more factions (and chance and misfortune) try to deprive them of the thing in their care.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The thing or person is troublesome, and tries to escape or sidetrack the PCs. The destination has been destroyed or suborned by the enemy, and the PCs must take upon themselves the job that either the destination or their charge was meant to do when it got there. The person is a person attempting a political defection. Safe arrival at the destination doesn't end the story; the PCs must then bargain with their charge as their token (exchanging money for a hostage, for instance). The PCs must protect the target without the target knowing about it.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Good Housekeeping</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The PCs are placed in charge of a large operation (a trading company, a feudal barony, the CIA) and must, despite lack of experience in such things, make it work and thrive.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The PCs are brought in because something big is about to happen, and the Old Guard wants a chance to escape. The peasants, neighbors, employees, etcetera resent the PCs, because their method of inheritance looks outwardly bad and everybody loved the old boss.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Help is on the Way</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />A person (church group, nation, galaxy) is in a hazardous situation they can't survive without rescue. The PCs are on the job. In some scenarios, the hook is as simple as a distant yell or crackly distress signal.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />Common Twists & Themes</b>: The victim(s) is (are) a hostage, or under siege from enemy forces, and the PCs must deal with the captors or break the siege. There is a danger that any rescue attempts will strand the rescuers in the same soup as the rescuees, compounding the problem. The rescuees aren't people, but animals, robots, or something else. The "victim" doesn't realize that he needs rescuing; he thinks he's doing something reasonable and/or safe. The threat isn't villain-oriented at all; it's a natural disaster, nuclear meltdown, or disease outbreak. The rescuees can't leave ; something immobile and vital must be tended to or dealt with at the adventure location. The PCs begin as part of the rescuees, and must escape and gather forces or resources to bring back and proceed as above.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hidden Base</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The PCs, while traveling or exploring, come across a hornet's nest of bad guys, preparing for Big Badness. They must either find some way to get word to the good guys, or sneak in and disable the place themselves, or a combination of both.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The PCs must figure out how to use local resources in order to defend themselves or have a chance against the inhabitants.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">How Much For Just The Dingus?</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Within a defined area, something important and valuable exists. The PCs (or their employers) want it, but so do one or more other groups. The ones that get it will be the ones that can outthink and outrace the others, deal best with the natives of the area, and learn the most about their target. Each competing group has its own agenda and resources.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The natives require the competing factions to gather before them as pals to state their cases. The valuable thing was en route somewhere when its conveyance or courier wrecked or vanished.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I Beg Your Pardon?</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The PCs are minding their own business when they are attacked or threatened. They don't know why. They must solve the mystery of their attacker's motives, and in the meantime fend off more attacks. They must put two and two together to deal with the problem.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The PCs have something that the bad guys want - but they don't necessarily realize it. The bad guys are out for revenge for a dead compatriot from a previous adventure. The bad guys have mistaken the PCs for somebody else.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Long Or Short Fork When Dining On Elf?</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The PCs are a diplomatic vanguard, trying to open up (or shore up) either political or trade relations with a strange culture. All they have to do is manage for a day or so among the strange customs without offending anybody . . . and what information they have is both incomplete and dangerously misleading.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The PCs were chosen by somebody who knew they weren't prepared for it - an NPC trying to sabotage the works (pinning this villain might be necessary to avert disaster).</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Look, Don't Touch</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The PCs are working surveillance - spying on a person, gathering information on a beast in the wild, scouting a new sector. Regardless of the scale, the primary conflict (at least at the start) is the rule that they are only to watch, listen and learn. They are not to make contact or let themselves be known.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The target gets itself in trouble and the PCs must decide whether to break the no-contact rule in order to mount a rescue.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Manhunt</span></span></h2>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Someone is gone: they've run away, gotten lost, or simply haven't called home in a while. Somebody misses them or needs them returned. The PCs are called in to find them and bring them back.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The target has been kidnapped (possibly to specifically lure the PCs). The target is dangerous and escaped from a facility designed to protect the public. The target is valuable and escaped from a place designed to keep him safe, cozy, and conveniently handy. The target has a reason for leaving that the PCs will sympathize with. The target has stumbled across another adventure (either as protagonist or victim), which the PCs must then undertake themselves. The missing "person" is an entire expedition or pilgrimage of some kind. The target isn't a runaway or missing/lost - they're just someone that the PCs have been hired to track down (possibly under false pretenses).</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Missing Memories</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />One or more of the PCs wakes up with no memory of the recent past, and now they find themselves in some kind of trouble they don't understand. The PCs must find the reason for the memory lapse, and solve any problems they uncover in the meantime.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The forgetful PCs voluntarily suppressed or erased the memories, and they find themselves undoing their own work.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Most Peculiar, Momma</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Something both bad and inexplicable is happening (racial tension is being fired up in town, all the power is out, the beer supply is drained, it's snowing in July, Voyager still has fans, hordes of aliens are eating all the cheese), and a lot of people are very troubled by it. The PCs must track the phenomenon to its source, and stop it.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The PCs are somehow unwittingly responsible for the whole thing. What seems to be a problem of one nature (technological, personal, biological, chemical, magical, political, etc) is actually a problem of an alternate one.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">No One Has Soiled The Bridge</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The PCs are assigned to guard a single vital spot (anything from a mountain pass to a solar system) from impending or possible attack. They must plan their defensive strategy, set up watches, set traps, and so on, and then deal with the enemy when it arrives.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The intelligence the PCs was given turns out to be faulty, but acting on the new information could result in greater danger - but so could not acting on it, and the PCs must choose or create a compromise. The PCs learn that the enemy has good and sympathetic reason for wanting to destroy the protected spot.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Not In Kansas</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The PCs are minding their own business and find themselves transported to a strange place. They must figure out where they are, why they are there and how to escape.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: They were brought there specifically to help someone in trouble. They were brought there by accident, as a by-product of something strange and secret. Some of the PCs' enemies were transported along with them (or separately), and now they have a new battleground, and innocents to convince which guys are the good guys.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ounces of Prevention</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />A villain or organization is getting ready to do something bad, and the PCs have received a tip-off of some sort. They must investigate to find out more about the caper, and then act to prevent it.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The initial tip-off was a red herring meant to distract the PCs from the actual caper. There are two simultaneous Bad Things on the way, and no apparent way to both of them - how to choose?</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Pandora's Box</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Somebody has tinkered with Things Man Ought Not, or opened a portal to the Mean People Dimension, cracked a wall at the state prison, or summoned an ancient Babylonian god into a penthouse. Before the PCs can even think of confronting the source of the trouble, they must deal with the waves of trouble already released by it: monsters, old foes out for vengeance, curious aliens who think cars/citizens/McDonald's hamburgers resemble food, and so forth.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The PCs can't simply take the released badness to the mat; they have to collect it and shove it back into the source before it the adventure can really end. The PCs are drawn in to the source and must solve problems on the other side before returning to this one. A secret book, code, or other rare element is necessary to plug the breach (maybe just the fellow who opened it). A close cousin to this plot is the basic "somebody has traveled into the past and messed with our reality" story.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Quest For the Sparkly Hoozits</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Somebody needs a dingus (to fulfill a prophecy, heal the monarch, prevent a war, cure a disease, or what have you). The PCs must find a dingus. Often an old dingus, a mysterious dingus, and a powerful dingus. The PCs must learn more about it to track it down, and then deal with taking it from wherever it is.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The dingus is incomplete when found (one of the most irritating and un-fun plot twists in the universe). Somebody already owns it (or recently stole it, sometimes with legitimate claim or cause). The dingus is information, or an idea, or a substance, not a specific dingus. The PCs must "go undercover" or otherwise infiltrate a group or society, gaining the dingus by guile or stealth.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Recent Ruins</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />A town, castle, starship, outpost, or other civilized construct is lying in ruins. Very recently, it was just dandy. The PCs must enter the ruins, explore them, and find out what happened.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: Whatever ruined the ruins (including mean people, weird radiation, monsters, a new race, ghosts) is still a threat; the PCs must save the day. The inhabitants destroyed themselves. The "ruins" are a derelict ship or spaceship, recently discovered. The "ruin" is a ghost town, stumbled across as the PCs travel - but the map says the town is alive and well.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Running the Gauntlet</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The PCs must travel through a hazardous area, and get through without being killed, robbed, humiliated, debased, diseased, or educated by whatever is there. The troubles they encounter are rarely personal in nature - the place itself is the "villain" of the adventure.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The place isn't dangerous at all, and the various "dangers" are actually attempts to communicate with the party by some agent or another.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Safari</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The PCs are on a hunting expedition, to capture or kill and elusive and prized creature. They must deal with its environment, its own ability to evade them, and possibly its ability to fight them.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The creature is immune to their devices and weapons. There are other people actively protecting the creature. The creature's lair allows the PCs to stumble onto another adventure.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Score One for the Home Team</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The PCs are participants in a race, contest, tournament, scavenger hunt or other voluntary bit of sport. They must win.<br />Common Twists & Themes: The other contestants are less honest, and the PCs must overcome their attempts to win dishonestly. The PCs are competing for a deeper purpose than victory, such as to keep another contestant safe, or spy on one, or just to get into the place where the event goes down. The PCs don't wish to win; they just wish to prevent the villain from winning. The event is a deliberate test of the PCs abilities (for entry into an organization, for example). The event becomes more deadly than it's supposed to.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Stalag 23</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The PCs are imprisoned, and must engineer an escape, overcoming any guards, automatic measures, and geographic isolation their prison imposes on them.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />Common Twists & Themes</b>: Something has happened in the outside world and the prison security has fallen lax because of it. The PCs have been hired to "test" the prison - they aren't normal inmates. Other prisoners decide to blow the whistle for spite or revenge. The PCs are undercover to spy on a prisoner, but are then mistaken for real inmates and kept incarcerated. The PCs must escape on a tight schedule to get to another adventure outside the walls.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Take Us To Memphis And Don't Slow Down</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The PCs are on board a populated conveyance (East Indiaman, Cruise Ship, Ferry, Sleeper Starship), when it is hijacked. The PCs must take action while the normals sit and twiddle.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />Common Twists & Themes</b>: The "hijackers" are government agents pulling a complicated caper, forcing the PCs to choose sides. The hijackers don't realize there is a secondary danger that must be dealt with, and any attempt to convince them is viewed as a trick. The normals are unhelpful or even hostile to the PCs because they think the PCs are just making matters worse.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Troublemakers</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />A bad guy (or a group of them, or multiple parties) is kicking up a ruckus, upsetting the neighbors, poisoning the reservoirs, or otherwise causing trouble. The PCs have to go where the trouble is, locate the bad guys, and stop the party.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />Common Twists & Themes</b>: The PCs must not harm the perpetrator(s); they must be bagged alive and well. The bad guys have prepared something dangerous and hidden as "insurance" if they are captured. The "bad guy" is a monster or dangerous animal (or an intelligent creature that everybody thinks is a monster or animal). The "bad guy" is a respected public figure, superior officer, or someone else abusing their authority, and the PCs might meet hostility from normally-helpful quarters who don't accept that the bad guy is bad. A balance of power perpetuates the trouble, and the PCs must choose sides to tip the balance and fix things. The "trouble" is diplomatic or political, and the PCs must make peace, not war.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Uncharted Waters</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The PCs are explorers, and their goal is to enter an unknown territory and scope it out. Naturally, the job isn't just going to be surveying and drawing sketches of local fauna; something is there, something fascinating and threatening.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />Common Twists & Themes</b>: Either the place itself is threatening (in which case the PCs must both play National Geographic and simultaneously try to escape with their skin, sanity, and credit rating) or the place itself is very valuable and wonderful, and something else there is keen on making sure the PCs don't let anyone else know. Other potential conflicts involve damage to the PCs' conveyance or communication equipment, in which case this becomes Don't Eat the Purple Ones.</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We're On The Outside Looking In</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Any of the basic plots in this list can be reengineered with the PCs on the outside of it. Either the PCs are accompanying other characters in the midst of such a plot (often being called on to defend the plot from the outside, as it were), or they are minding their own business when the others involved in the plot show up, and must pick sides or simply resist. For instance, with Any Old Port In The Storm, the PCs could already be enjoying (or native to) the shelter when a strange group arrives. If the "the PCs are unwelcome" variant is employed, then perhaps the PCs will be the only voice of reason to still the religious fervor, racial prejudice, anti-monster sentiment, or whatever else is the source of conflict.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Common Twists & Themes</b>: The PCs find themselves on the receiving end of the adventure. Take any of the plots here and reverse them, placing the PCs in the position where NPCs (often the villain, fugitive, etcetera) normally are. Instead of hunting, they must be hunted. Instead of fixing, they must avoid getting "fixed" themselves (ow). Alternately, leave a classic plot intact but turn the twists upside down, making them twistier (or refreshingly un twisty).</span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tips and Tricks</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />Surrender yourself to metaphor</b>. I've written the plots in the language of (typically very physical) action-adventure genres, because that's the basic form of roleplaying adventure - but if you're playing on more levels than that, the list can still punch its weight. Just remember that every thing, place, and foe can really be a piece of information, person, and unhealthy attitude, as surely as a space station can be a dungeon and a magical residue can be a fingerprint.<br /><br /><b>Double up</b>. A nice basic method is the chameleon game, where an adventure presents itself as one type of story in the "hook layer" but reveals itself as something else. Sometimes, the switch is innocent and natural - Don't Eat the Purple Ones, for example, makes a good hook for Running the Gauntlet, and Most Peculiar, Momma is a logical lead for Pandora's Box. Sometimes, the switch is something more sinister or deliberate, with NPCs selling the adventure as one thing when it's really another. This can still be innocent, in its way, if the NPCs have been duped themselves, or if they're just desperate for help and worried that nobody will be eager to tackle the real problem.<br /><br /><b>Throw yourself a curve</b>. Your players will, anyway, so practice early. Pick two random entries from the Big List and make your adventure on those, no matter what comes up - the first one is the hook layer; the second is the meat of the adventure. If the same entry comes up both times, go with it! Two layers can have a similar structure but very different roots or details.<br /><b><br />Double up, part two</b>: Some very satisfying adventures weave two separate (or thematically-related) plots together. An easy way to make this work is to make one plot physical and the other plot personal. That way just one of the plots puts demand on the PCs' location, while the other one can tag along anywhere. For example: the PCs are hired to escort a prince to a summit so he can appear before the masses and end a war (a physical and simple example of Escort Service), but on the way, they realize that the poor guy is suicidal because state obligations have ruined his love life, and must prevent his self-destruction by either fixing the problem or convincing him to shoulder the burden (a personal and metaphorical example of Ounces of Prevention).<br /><br /><b>Don't Panic</b>. A lot of GMs come to the Big List only once they've begun to panic. Don't crucify yourself just yet! In particular, don't fuss too much over plot, as many GMs do. All of the plots here can provide a tried-and-true, simple structure, and structure is all you need a plot for in a roleplaying game. Remember to play to the strengths of the medium - most all of which are about character, not plot. Only in an RPG can you experience a fictional character on a personal, first-hand level. Outline your adventures to make the most of that. Any plot that contains more than a basic structure is more likely to pull attention away from character, and that's burning the bridge for firewood. All you need to do is be ready to roll with the curves and have fun hamming it up. Relax. Game.<br /><br />And finally, here's <b>The Little List of Nearly-Universal Plot Twists That Work With Almost Any Plot Ever</b>: The PCs must work alongside an NPC or organization they'd rather not pal around with (those who are normally rivals or villains, or just a snooty expert sent along to "help" them, etc). The victims are really villains and the villains are really victims. The PCs meet others who can help them, but won't unless the PCs agree to help them with their own causes. The villain is somebody the PCs know personally, even respect or love (or someone they fall for, mid-story). The PCs must succeed without violence, or with special discretion. The PCs must succeed without access to powers, equipment, or other resources they're used to having. The villain is a recurring foil. Another group comparable to the PCs has already failed to succeed, and their bodies/equipment/etc provide clues to help the PCs do better. There are innocents nearby that the PCs must keep safe while dealing with the adventure. The adventure begins suddenly and without warning or buildup; the PCs are tossed into the fire of action in scene one. The PCs must pretend to be someone else, or pretend to be themselves but with very different allegiances, values or tastes. The PCs can't do everything and must choose: which evil to thwart? Which innocents to rescue? Which value or ideal to uphold? The PCs must make a personal sacrifice or others will suffer. The PCs aren't asked to solve the problem, just to render aid against a backdrop of larger trouble: get in a shipment of supplies, sneak out a patient that needs medical help, or so on. One of the PCs is (or is presumed to be) a lost heir, fulfillment of a prophecy, a volcano god, or some other savior and/or patsy, which is why the PCs must do whatever the adventure is about. There is another group of PC-like characters "competing" on the same adventure, possibly with very different <span style="font-size: large;">goals. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">--Arti<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">cle</span> by the Awe<span style="font-size: large;">some Zach Raber.</span></span> </span></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-75054111367913311122013-02-24T18:47:00.002-08:002013-11-23T13:25:18.563-08:00Eight Ways to Run a Game Online<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Technology has done many
interesting things to the tabletop RPG market. There are many applications,
programs, platforms, and tricks to enhance your games with technology.
Unfortunately, I think the internet and technology have taken more away from
the game than they have given if not used properly. At its core, a tabletop RPG
functions best on the tabletop, in person, with your best friends role-playing
their hearts out. Yes, I know many people enjoy online games (and I do too),
but the fastest, most efficient, most entertaining, and overall best games I
have ever partaken in were always live and in person.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span>
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I plan to use this article
to illustrate some of the many interesting things you can do to game online,
but my favorite way to game has always been in person with friends.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">1. Play-by-Post</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">:
Probably the most prolific platform out there are the play-by-post games. At
first glance they appear to be an excellent means of gaming with like-minded
people from around the world. Unfortunately, most gamers quickly find that
play-by-post games take both a lot of time and a lot of work. Play-by-post
games simply don’t have the turn-around time that an in-person game has. A
single battle can take a week. I’ve run games that took several years to get to
the second level of experience and make it through a couple of adventures. Many
sites also have stringent rules on who can join, game set up, dice rolling, and
other nit-picky things which can lose you even more time. I always try to run my
play-by-post games fast and loose to compensate for their already slow nature.
I find eliminating (or doing yourself) of the dice rolling can also speed up
the game marginally. It has been my experience that most play-by-post games die
off and/or lose players on a regular basis. The advantages are interesting as
well: you can potentially get many players all of whom are incredibly creative
and different than your normal group, all action in the game is essentially
‘logged’ in text for later reference and reading which is really nice, and it’s
a nice bit of writing to look forward to at the end of the day. While Wizards
of the Coast has a nice board, I also really like DND Online Games which has a
fantastic community.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">2. Play-by-Email</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">: This isn’t my favorite way to game online, but some people enjoy it.
In principal it sounds like a neat way to run a game (you check your e-mail
anyway). However, I find it’s even harder to communicate and reference existing
material by e-mail. On a forum board it’s all there in one thread whereas in
e-mail it’s a bit harder to find. Also, it doesn’t get the exposure to
potential new players and readers that a forum game would get. Other than that,
play-by-e-mail games are very similar to play by post games.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">3. Instant Message</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">: The obvious remedy to a slower play-by-post game is an instant message
game. However, the instant chat comes with several drawbacks which may not be
at first obvious: 1. it’s hard to coordinate people over time zones, 2. Text
still takes longer than speech, 3. Records of past events are sometimes not
recordable, 4. if anyone else is in the chat there could be interruptions.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">4. Dedicated Servers</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">: There are several servers dedicated to just role-playing games. Some
of them come with hosts of very cool features like: virtual tabletop,
miniatures, dice rollers built in the system, private messaging, and logs of
past instant chat events. It is possible to run a whole adventure in an evening
with one of these sites provided everyone is well-prepared and the adventure is
relatively short such as 4 scenes. It’s still slow compared to an in-person
game but lightning speed compared to some play-by-post games. Oddly,
play-by-post games still feel more ‘real’ to me. One of the best I’ve seen is
FableTop. However, the lack of consistent players to join in a game combined
with the non-customizable dice rolling give it a few things to be desired.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">5. Social Media</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">:
It’s technically possible to use social media such as Facebook, Twitter, web
pages, or other means to run an RPG. I know a fellow who runs a mass-scale RPG
on Twitter and I used to run a game on Yahoo Groups. Overall, I didn’t find the
experience to be on par with play-by-post or a virtual tabletop, but it’s
something to consider. The advantage is everyone is on those sites anyway, the
disadvantage is the massive potential for distraction with other things.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">6. Google Hangouts/Video Chat</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">: This is probably the closest I’ve ever come to the
thrill of an actual in-person game. The combination of seeing the facial
expressions and gestures of the other games, speech, text and visual aids, and
real-time play make for an experience almost like that of actually being there.
It still feels funny to be gaming with a computer screen and not real people.
There are still technical hiccups as someone tries to hook up a document for
everyone to see. It’s still a pretty cool means to game.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">7. Video Games</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">:
These don’t usually seem like the ideal environment to get a game running.
While the server and instant chat are cool, the game itself tends to be a
distraction to the players in the game.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">8. Website</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">:
At first, it seems like an ideal place to run your game. Why not just use your
personal website to run a game? You have text, administration control, ability
to put in pictures and media, etc. This is how I started out with online gaming
and it didn’t seem to work well at all. In retrospect it was kind of obvious:
exposure. Unless you’re running Amazon or Wizards of the Coast it’ll probably
be really hard for people to find your website to play the game. Even if they ‘<i>do’</i> find the website, they’ll probably
hesitant to join in because of feeling more secure on a dedicated server like
DnD Online Games. This method seems to work best with personal friends and
people you invite to join into your games. Generally though, people go online
to find new gamers not to game with people they could play with in real life.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Tips and Tricks</span></b></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">1.</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;"> <b>Show Up</b>: Try to post, PM, text, or run
sessions consistently and on time. Nothing kills a game faster than missing
scheduled times of play. Even a very slow turn-around like 1 post a week is
better than sporadic posting over a few days and then nothing for three weeks.
I’ve run games where I simply posted by myself as the GM on a regular basis and
within a short time had a very large number of players. Simply showing up
consistently is often something a lot of players are looking for because of the
high mortality rate of play-by-post games people can join in on.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">This principal applies
equally to instant message games. Sometimes people just pop onto the server to
see if anyone’s around. If you give up after 5 minutes you’ll automatically
miss the next potential three players who visit the site over the course of 3
hours. However, I’m not saying to waste time, just that giving up too soon can
potentially affect your game.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">2. Get an Easy Dice Roller</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">: There are probably fifty billion dice rolling
applications both online and off. Choose one which is easy to use and does what
you want. One of the most frustrating things about an online game is messing
around with dice rolls. Spending a week to roll one attack roll and then
rolling a 2 can be incredibly frustrating for players. I tend to either let
players roll the dice themselves, or roll all dice myself to save on time. This
may not suit all players.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">3. Be Clear about Everything</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">: Because you’re not face to face with your players it
is far, far easier to be confused by things and unclear to each other. Try to
be even more thorough than usual when explaining things and outlining what you
will and won’t accept in your games. In a normal game a player can just ask for
an explanation. In a play-by-post game a single explanation post can lose
everyone involved a few days of playing time. This rule applies equally well to
describing the setting and other things along those lines.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">4. Be Swift</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">:
This applies on so many levels I probably can’t explain them all. The primary
drawback of nearly any online game is the turn-around. You must accept that the
game will run far, far slower than you’d like. I know it’s frustrating, but if
you can accept it you can enjoy the unique virtues of online gaming.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">5. Become a Good Writer</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">: Most online games rely upon your writing skills to
implement properly. Improving your writing, typing, grammar, and other such
skills will make your games more enjoyable for your players and for yourself. I
personally enjoy writing itself, RPGs, storytelling, and gaming. That should
technically make me a prime candidate for online games, but I still enjoy the
ones in real life better.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I've also been told that a few advanced resources are out there such as TabletopForge for Google Hangouts, and a few other professional grade virtual tabletop programs. Currently those programs are beyond the scope of this article. If you're interested, feel free to go ahead and try them out.</span></span> </div>
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</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-76782609841307386162013-02-17T19:16:00.001-08:002013-11-23T13:28:35.144-08:0040 Random Encounters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4MwDCbeNvtMFqhzXN2rxG2lW4rUuGjQlbZOy7QBMLeys0mLrlmUJM7AAZJ4C_nYoU9fCXhbSBafHTnlQLYUTrn8gqudelG1duj4fk1oSfRz4ay92Suw648RJu7sClGpvIRzxjpalikNlc/s1600/100_3674%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4MwDCbeNvtMFqhzXN2rxG2lW4rUuGjQlbZOy7QBMLeys0mLrlmUJM7AAZJ4C_nYoU9fCXhbSBafHTnlQLYUTrn8gqudelG1duj4fk1oSfRz4ay92Suw648RJu7sClGpvIRzxjpalikNlc/s320/100_3674%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Whenever you’re lacking inspiration or need a last minute encounter in the middle of an adventure, cry. Otherwise, it’s always handy to have some random encounters lying around. I always create my own and usually in a 20-part master list entitled “Random Awesomeness Generator” or similar. In combination with just about any adventure, they can make for a memorable and often bizarre experience. Ah, the tales I could tell. However, this article was entitled 40 Random Encounters not 40 Vague Reminisces which have no Bearing on Anything.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />That said, reminisces are what this game is all about, right? I recall long ago I had a 1st edition wizard who had 1 hit point, a dagger (actually, a staff which did 1d4), and a single magic missile spell per day. When my GM asked what character I wanted to play, I volunteered my wizard without much hope of survival or a fun gaming experience. Boy was I ever wrong. Not only was the wizard totally awesome, but he encouraged some great ingenuity. I had to push enemy guards off the castle walls to infiltrate the castle, out dis a rival 30th level wizard, and steal a broom made of solid gold. Not only did Thodar (the wizard) survive, but he thrived. The GM wasn’t terribly impressed, but it’s one of my favourite ‘Ha ha, I did this’ stories.<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The below random encounters have been formatted so they can be dropped readily into a dangerous part of the adventure, and they shouldn’t become overly suspicious if rolled multiple times. As always, use your best discretion. It’s also worth noting that in the kind of games I run, credibility is very low on the hit list of things I want to accomplish.<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. </b>A trio of wizards. They try to take out the party so they can steal their magical gear for bartering with rivals out for their necks.<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2.</b> Bounty hunting orcs. They’re talking about how weak and stupid humans are as the PCs approach them unawares. <br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>3.</b> An odd, impenetrable wall of fire circles the party.<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>4.</b> A load of dead bodies lie on the ground here. Who knows why?<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>5.</b> A small bag of gold lies here, apparently, unguarded. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>6.</b> There is a thousand foot tree nearby with a small astral diamond hidden in the canopy.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>7.</b> The wall here shoots 6d6 lightning bolts. The corridor is also probably trapped with fireballs and other deadly things.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>8.</b> A classic magical fountain lies here. Anyone who drinks of it gains super strength or something else random like that. If anyone gets smart and tries to make it portable, it loses its power and probably wipes your mind when you drink it, too.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>9.</b> Grunts and shuffles echo from beyond. Here there be a giant hamster.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>10.</b> A merchant stands in the dungeon here. He’s selling a wide range of goods most adventurers would be interested in even though his main clientele for the past 10 years have been undead ghouls and skeletons.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>11.</b> An alien spaceship comes by and abducts the party. After that they perform genetic experiments on them and drop them in Antarctica with weird, super-hero powers.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>12.</b> A portal appears and teleports the party to the age of dinosaurs or some other random part of the universe.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>13.</b> A locked, magical, and impenetrable door leads to nothing but a blank wall. It is inscribed with mystic runes which, when deciphered, read: “Ha ha, you’ll never find it.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>14.</b> A lost farmer is looking for his pig here. This makes sense seeing as this is the castle of the Demon Vampire Colony.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>15.</b> The players discover a deck of many things and a deck of Munchkin. If they try to play Munchkin they get instantly disintegrated and the deck explodes in their faces.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>16.</b> A female vampire falls in love with one of the party members and is convinced his name is Edward. If the rest of the party doesn’t save their friend, he may be kidnapped by Bella.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>17.</b> The party discovers a laser rifle. Unfortunately it only has 5 shots left.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>18.</b> Pit trap! It has spikes at the bottom too. Also, the top closes up, is coated in contact poison, scorpions dump from the walls, and the room floods from the bars in the floor. Did I mention the electrical trap on the bars?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>19.</b> A vast treasure hoard behind a simple secret door. It is completely un-trapped, unguarded, and it’s not fake or an illusion. The party are now all billionaires.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>20.</b> A very stupid peasant is stuck in a bit of mud. He screams for aid. If any of the party saves him his name is John Nodwick Piggles and he’ll follow his new ‘master’ forever.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>21.</b> Snow drifts from the ceiling of the room and angelic Christmas music plays in the background. Then nothing happens.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>22.</b> A goblin challenges the party to a fight. He has 5,000 ants who all use ‘aid another’ on him and have the magical power to add +1 damage per round to one ally’s attacks. The goblin laughs maniacally and then returns to his home dimension as an immensely powerful genie. He ridicules the party for picking on those weaker than them, but gives them three wishes anyway. The three wishes all have twisted meanings.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>23.</b> The party runs into a group of elves bickering with a group of dwarves. It’s up to them whether to start a massive war or buy everyone drinks.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>24.</b> The party finds a bar and a brawl starts. It turns out all of the patrons are actually disguised arch wizards and the bar brawl quickly turns into a massive nuclear weapons fest.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>25.</b> A bird steals one of the party member’s magic rings and doesn’t want to give it back. If the party kills him it turns out he has a little baby bird which the party must now take care of or suffer the million experience point penalty for ‘cruelty to animals’.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>26.</b> A very powerful giant invites the party out to a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>27.</b> A powerful, neutral wizard curses everyone in a town with different and bizarre curses which cannot be lifted by the normal means. He’s quite insane, and it just so happens the party is visiting his town today…</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>28.</b> The party runs into the “killer rabbit” from Monty Python. No reason why, really.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>29.</b> A magical book will boost one character’s strength by three points. However, the book requires that everyone within 100 feet of the reader must be defeated in hand to hand combat and the victor of the scrum be named the ‘winner.’</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>30.</b> Frost demons attempt to freeze the party into ice cubes and then sell them as wall ornaments to the princes of the fire kingdom who want a refund when they melt and come back to life.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>31.</b> The one person with knowledge to save the world is killed by the villain in front of the party. To restore him to life they must do something more difficult than a simple raise dead spell. They must travel to the underworld and confront a three-headed dog or something like that.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>32.</b> An evil wizard attempts to turn all the party into mice and then puts them in a huge maze which they must race each other through to win their freedom. A cat is also tossed in for good measure. The wizard turns everyone back to normal before anything serious happens and then laughs.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>33.</b> An NPC(s) offer the PCs a game of chance in which the odds are actually rigged in the party’s favor. When they win, the NPCs act angry, but are secretly overjoyed to get rid of the ‘hot’ money or items.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>34.</b> A psychotic (and dogged) law enforcer is after the party for the wrong reasons. He thinks they did something they didn’t or has completely mixed up their identities with known criminals. They must find out why he’s so tough and the secret serum convincing him of their guilt before he convinces the proper authorities and has them jailed.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />35. A stampede of extraterrestrials and powerful monsters run past, clearly in a great hurry to get somewhere…or away.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>36.</b> A mad hermit predicts the doom of the universe unless paid one copper coin. Oddly enough, the only thing which can stop the giant meteor is going back in time and giving him the coin before he winks and disappears.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>37.</b> Powerful creatures have come to the dimension of earth to hunt. They take trophies and look like Aliens even though they act like Predators. Superman comes to stop them.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>38.</b> A woman mistakes one of the PCs for a powerful prince and tries to flirt with him to become heir to his kingdom. Bonus points if the PC actually is a powerful prince.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>39.</b> The party is shanghaied into being “Ghostbusters” because the local government has no one else to turn to (or blame).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>40.</b> A powerful (and good) vampire hires the party to keep his vacation uninterrupted by people trying to stake him through the heart. Unfortunately, all the vampire’s hateful rivals want him dead and see this as an opportunity to get him killed seeing as he’s going to a tropical island far away from all his minions and a dark castle to hide in away from the sunlight.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The usefulness of the above random encounters is debatable, at best. However, I’d also like to wish you a Happy 2013!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.challengerrpg.com/2012/06/28-rpg-encounters-on-road.html">...More Random Encounters</a> </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-9894769792334312772013-02-10T21:23:00.000-08:002013-11-23T13:36:01.682-08:00The Differences between Fictional and RPG Heroes<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQzkqQIyRK4dIkfWwFYSpCbLAmZ5goMURERQxiPOhh1RMhzG5RaL9Ur-4xoiopKiDU-KZWAVIjjTU8K6HVfUEnTKLFur-DTKdHNu21Fo2o_pNsQxF2E8quIEyheIddB7FsLgEMiE9zZctN/s1600/100_3698%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQzkqQIyRK4dIkfWwFYSpCbLAmZ5goMURERQxiPOhh1RMhzG5RaL9Ur-4xoiopKiDU-KZWAVIjjTU8K6HVfUEnTKLFur-DTKdHNu21Fo2o_pNsQxF2E8quIEyheIddB7FsLgEMiE9zZctN/s320/100_3698%5B1%5D.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Vs.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">There are many differences between the heroes in novels and those you play in an RPG. While you might envision your heroes as you would the main characters in a book you’re reading, there are some key differences which quickly set them apart. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>1. Training under a Master</b>: Usually, your character shows up to the game fully trained and ready to kick the posterior of evil. Only rarely is your character trained by a wise old master who then subsequently dies. In most fictional stories, the opposite is true.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>2.</b> <b>What you do when the Enemy is Defeated</b>: When a fictional hero defeats the villains he usually heaves a sigh of relief, and praises his luck in defeating his foes and surviving. When a PC does the same he usually first insults the enemy’s lack of ability or a chance to succeed, and then loots the bodies.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>3.</b> <b>A New Quest…</b>: When a fictional hero is set upon some great quest his first instinct is to either bemoan his fate or say, “Yes, my liege, it would be my honor.” When a PC is in a similar situation he will usually first say, “What’s in it for me, king chum?”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>4. Treatment of NPCs</b>: Being an NPC himself, a fictional hero will often treat ‘others’ as he would normally treat people. PCs tend to have a more jaundiced opinion of anyone who’s not themselves. This can result in decreased evaluation of allies, relegation of important NPCs to ‘henchman’ status, disregard of the king and laws of the land, wanton looting of everything in sight, and responding to any ‘insult’ by any NPC as tantamount to a declaration of war on the party.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>5. Upon finding themselves in Jail</b>: While a classic fictional hero will usually bemoan their fate and think they’ll never escape, a PC will often moan and ridicule the GM and then become bored until an easy means of escape is hit upon.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>6. Magic Items</b>: When a fictional hero finds a magic item it is with a sense of awe and wonder. The item is often treated with the utmost respect and fear. They will be lucky to have half a dozen magic items in their possession and each one will be unique and powerful. Often, though not always, a PC will have 36+ magic items and care for each of them about as much as he cares for an annoying hamster his sister owns.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>7. Fear</b>: Fictional hero: just about all the time. RPG hero: never, or for entirely the wrong reasons, e.g. “Agh, the chips ran out!”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>8. Upon entering a Room…</b>: A fictional hero will admire the décor, and look for someone to talk to. An RPG hero will ‘loot the premises’ and then look for secret doors no matter how strange it would appear to do so under the circumstances.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />9. Walking about the Countryside</b>: A fictional hero will often ride a horse, or stick to the woodlands to avoid detection by those who want to find him. An RPG hero will walk down the center of the road, yelling at anyone nearby, and with sword and shield drawn in ‘ready pose’ at all times.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>10. When meeting a Villain…</b>: A fictional hero will often try to outsmart or kill the villain. If he’s hiding behind a pillar, he might trade an insult or two with his foe before doing silent battle. When the PCs come upon a villain they will probably first ridicule him to some great length and then charge at him.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />11. Division of Loot</b>: A fictional band of heroes will often give the treasures to the people who can best use them. A group of PCs will often ‘split’ the treasure to the letter to avoid blood feuds.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>12. Upon seeing a Monster</b>: Fictional Hero: Run away. RPG Hero: Attack.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>13. Romance</b>: Fictional story: pivotal. RPG adventure: irrelevant.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>14. Non-combat</b>: Fictional: comprises 95% of the story. RPG: comprises 2% of the story.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>15. When the guard on the wall says “Who goes there?”</b>: The fictional party is probably wearing hoods and makes up an excuse as to why they’re here to trade and they’re from Alaska. The RPG party proudly proclaims their names and deeds to some great and then demands the gate be raised or they’ll storm the castle.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />16. When they know they’re going to Die</b>: Fictional heroes will often bemoan their sorry fate. RPG heroes will often become angry at the GM for rigging the adventure against them.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />17. Upon miraculously Surviving</b>: A fictional hero will often be awed at their luck and forever grateful to whatever pulled them through. An RPG hero will probably yawn and get on with the business of the adventure. If they happen to owe this bit of luck to some NPC they’ll become annoyed with him because they don’t like being indebted to people.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />18. When there’s a group Problem</b>: Two fictional characters who have a problem will probably talk about it for 15 chapters and then gaze evilly at each other for the next 15 chapters. At the end of the book they’ll hug and make up. Two RPG characters who have a problem with each other will often draw swords and see “Who’s da man.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />19. Base of Operations</b>: Fictional character: their house. RPG character: flying, invisible, super-fortress capable of space flight and leveling whole cites. It’s also trapped to kill anyone who enters and the players kept the map to themselves so when the GM says someone went in their fortress they can take over the role of GM and say, “He fell into a pit trap there.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />20. Music, Good food, Drink</b>: Appreciated by a fictional character for their various virtues of taste, comfort, and art. Appreciated by a PC for their various magical bonuses and allowing them to enter a drunken bar fight.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />21. Background</b>: Fictional characters will often have a background too elaborate to describe in under 150 pages. This will include their father, mother, family, uncle, pet parrot, pet monkey, who their mortal enemy is, and what happened to them on the farm when they were 15. A PC, unless forced otherwise by the GM, won’t often have a background. If they do have a background it will probably go something like this, “My entire family was killed by orcs and dragons so no villain can use them against me and I have a good excuse for killing dragons and orcs. My uncle, before he died, left me a load of treasure and magic items. My character can’t remember his name.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>22. Appearance</b>: Fictional character: blue eyes and lightning scar. RPG character: Bad-ass with spikes on his boots to kick people with.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />23. Personality</b>: Fictional character: complicated, wimpy, and often resulting in large interior monologues and internal conflicts of interest. RPG character: Lawful Good guy who steals all treasure and magic around, covets xp, destroys anyone in his way, and arbitrarily does pretty much whatever he wants.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>24. When Powerful…</b>: A fictional character will often help those in need, pledge his sword to a higher power, aid in large battles, and confront any villains he can get his hands on. An RPG character will often use great power for personal profit and gain, to show off, and to toss fireballs at random trees.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>25. When Weak…</b>: A fictional character will stick close to powerful NPC allies to help him on his quest and train him in sword fighting. An RPG character will complain until the GM hands him some sweet magic items.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>26. Magic</b>: For a fictional character, magic is mysterious and powerful, only to be used with extreme caution. For an RPG character magic is something like a candy-dispensing machine, click the right button and the right result comes out until you run out of quarters and have to sleep on it.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>27. Undefeatable Evil</b>: A fictional character will become witless trying to figure out how on earth they’re going to beat their great foe who’s so much more powerful than them. How can they be expected to do it alone? An RPG character will snicker and load his shotgun.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>28. Description and World Lore</b>: In a fictional story, this is used to flesh out the environment and create a real place in the imagination. In an RPG it’s often used to figure out where the bad guys and treasures are so you can squash and steal them.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>29. Allies</b>: Fictional characters often view their friends and allies as their most powerful, useful, and prized possessions. PCs often view allies as a liability or people who can walk into traps for them.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>30. Unknown Magic</b>: If a fictional character doesn’t know what some magic thing does he’ll often bring it to a trusted and wise old wizard. He’ll also ask all his friends what it does. A PC will often shake it, look for words at the bottom, and point it at various NPCs in the hopes of figuring out what it does by accident and saving the fee of consulting a wizard.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />31. The Grand Finale</b>: The grand finale of a novel is usually some ultimate moment where the main character discovers a truth about himself in an interior monologue. After self-shrinking himself, he often finds it ridiculously easy to torch the villain he thought was so powerful. A PC will probably realize he’s late for supper and leave. By next week, he’ll have forgotten the whole thing and delay the game for half an hour while you explain it to him.</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-29700765890646490362013-02-03T18:06:00.001-08:002013-11-23T12:53:08.874-08:00Fed Up of Rolling Dice for High Level Players?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Are there times when you’re rolling more dice than role-playing? The players are asking you for modifiers and spell rulings more often than being creative? This tends to happen at high levels of play when the players have accumulated a fair number of spells, abilities, skills, and magical items. The game may get to the point where you’re doing more math than game playing.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Advancement is cool, advancement is fun. Gaining levels, new powers, and magic items is one of the most enjoyable parts of the game. However, the price of all these new powers is a trend to be less creative on the players’ parts. It takes a very clever GM indeed to keep high level players challenged and creative.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />While there are many fine solutions to keeping your high level players occupied, this article will only cover the solutions offered by a friend of mine. These solutions have no correlation whatsoever to what I’d do in a similar situation, which would probably be to a) chuckle evilly, and b) roll a lot of dice.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>1. Switch Settings</b>: If the players are forced to enter a land or realm where their powers and skills are dampened, it could give you enough time to get a feel for the game again and regain the flow. It also allows your players to be a little more creative and try quirky strategies like they always used to when they were at lower levels. Magic items might cease to work, spells and powers cease to function, and it’s possible that player’s characters may even forget some of their most useful abilities and skills for a while. As you get back into the flow of the game you can start to phase back in all their powers, potions, and items.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>2. Equally Equipped Enemies</b>: You can also land your heroes with a group of opponents who are equally decked out with magical gear. This tends to create more of an aggravated explosion than anything else (I find). It might be preferable to just let thieves steal all of their items.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>3. The ol’ 4-for-1 Dice Trick</b>: Instead of adding all the modifiers, rolling all the dice, and making an informed decision; you can always just fake rolling 1d6 and give all the players the same result based on that one roll. For example: “Okay, I rolled a 2 for your group, guys. The troll clobbers all of you like the Rock and then does a pile-driver on the mage. You all take 20d6 damage…Yeah, you too, Mike. I don’t care if you were 200 ft. away in a pillbox with your crossbow.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />Well, I think that about covers that. Please keep in mind that the above was a friend’s idea and the below was mine. That way, you can direct the appropriate ridicule to each of us individually. Thank you.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Winterizing your RPGs</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">With Christmas just around the bend, you’ll probably be wondering just how you can make your RPGs feel like Christmas without actually losing the flow of your game. Have no fear! I have compiled a list of thoroughly useless ‘Christmas’ themed items for your perusal below. Instead of actually being creative yourself, you can feel free to steal them all and use anything you want in your own games to get that Christmas Feel.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>1. Snow</b>: Obviously, if you’re running a Christmas-themed adventure there should be snow. Just like if you were running a Thanksgiving adventure you’d put in a turkey (who runs Thanksgiving adventures, honestly?). Legitimate use of this: the party must hunt a feral beast in the far north of the campaign world. Stupid use of this: the party’s Hawaiian island comes under the siege of frost giants who cause it to snow for no apparent reason.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>2. Elves and Dwarves</b>: It should go without saying that you should include Elves and Dwarves in your Christmas-themed adventure. Not only are they traditionally suited to the genre, but your players will have no ends of fun cracking jokes about them. The dwarves have the suitable beards, and the elves have the correct name.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>3. Sleighs and Reindeer</b>: This should be relatively easy to work in. If the party is already going up north it should be a simple matter for an old chubby guy in a red suit to say, “Your horses will freeze, you’ll need some of these babies. Also, you’ll need a sleigh. 5,000 gp, please.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>4. Snow Men</b>: I’m thinking the kind that kill you. Probably like the abominable snowman. Regular happy snow men don’t usually aid in adventures much unless it’s as a very bad joke. Stuff that wants to kill you, on the other hand, is usually well-received by the players.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>5. Presents</b>: The obvious solution is to just hand your players 100 dollar bills for participating in the game and wish them Merry Christmas (or some other festive greeting like ‘Ave!”). For GMs will less money than time, you can make a Christmasy map for them as a handout. For GMs with no time or money (all of us, really) you can just have some NPC give something to the PCs as a gift.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>6. Christmas Weaponry</b>: The first question in the powergamer’s mind when hearing ‘Christmas Adventure’ will be what they can loot from Santa’s Workshop or some equivalent. The promise of jingle bell grenades, holly potions, and wreaths of invulnerability will do loads to enhance the Christmas spirit for the powergamers. Popular weapons for the bad guys can include: flamethrowers, killer snow men, killer trees, and masses of wrapping paper enchanted to suffocate you.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>7. Music</b>: Don’t bother, it’ll just make any player currently working in retail insane. Instead, try to include the Grinch or someone else of much Christmas merit who can potentially sneak into the party’s fortress and wreak havoc as he steals everything undetected except by that little girl who he lies to.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>8. Shopping Sales</b>: It’s a possibility that the party could find a rare, teleporting magical bazar which shows up once every hundred years to offer discount pricing on magic items. The only problem is that about a million flying carpets have crowded out the parking lot and all the other wizards are shoving to get the last wand of mega-death. Training your ‘auctioneer’ voice and shoving the players a few times while yelling might enhance the ‘commercial’ spirit of Boxing Day.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>9. Christmas</b>: I’d personally avoid using actual real Christmas stuff in your adventure. This would be similar to a recommendation not to use real-life people as NPCs in your adventure. Not only might some people object, but you would probably be better off celebrating with your family, anyway. If you’re going to play an RPG in the festive season, you might as well ham it up and make fun of Frosty the Snowman instead.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>10. Have the Players Freeze to Death</b>: Hardly anything beats that warm feeling of satisfaction you get when you inform the whole party they’re starving to death, out of water, and freezing to death. Having them drop cool items from frozen fingers, go delusional, or fall over repeatedly is also great fun. If they actually prepared for the cold weather, you can always hit them with one of those unpredictable and often lethal winter storms you’re so fond of. If they build igloos, they’ll probably be immune to this because they actually do work.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>11. Skating</b>: Having at least one scene with everyone on skates on some large ice surface is usually amusing. Feel free to throw in half-pipes and jumps as well. Bad guys who can freeze anything they point their ray guns at could be interesting, too, especially in a warm climate where they’re freezing all the local landmarks and all the locals too.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>12. Food</b>: This should be relatively easy to implement. Just have the players invited or imprisoned by anyone and forced to eat truffles, chocolates, and Christmas oranges. Punch is optional but should also cause temporary amnesia or something else magical and amusing.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>13. Druids</b>: If you want to be all historical, you could have the party ambushed by crazed druids who want to sacrifice them to the Gods so that the winter will be abolished and the people can get back to planting and harvest. I’m not sure this is a particularly good idea, especially for the druids.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>14. Ghosts</b>: Having the party visited by three ghosts (all of whom want to kill them) could be an interesting twist. Instead of trying to get them to change their greedy ways (practically impossible) the ghosts simply get nastier and nastier as they attempt to bump the party off. Having the ghosts out to an apple dunking competition may temper their ire.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>15. Scrooge</b>: Having a 20th level wizard version of Scrooge foreclose on all the party’s property could be interesting; probably because they owe him nothing in the first place.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>16. Family Gatherings</b>: After or during the adventure you could potentially have the party required to meet their entire extended family. Not only would this be painful and embarrassing, it would probably be no fun to role-play and all your players might quit. If you like this idea, you could also have the mother-in-laws follow the party around for the entire adventure and berate and ridicule them about every tiny action they make. This is, of course, optional and doesn’t reflect in the slightest what an actual mother-in-law would do in the same position. Players also probably have access to nifty means of escape such as flight, teleportation, and invisibility. See the above portion of the article for advice on how to remedy this.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />I hope you enjoyed the Christmas 2012 edition of this column. My household is currently under mass siege and I have absolutely no time for writing this article. Its very existence is a surprising paradox. I’d like to apologize in advance for any typos or omissions. I don’t have the time to correct more than a dozen times. Merry Christmas and Happy 2013 Everyone! </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-78890787008457588012013-02-03T17:40:00.002-08:002013-02-03T18:19:26.990-08:00What's with Challenger on Google Currents?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="currents_badge-300x250.gif" height="250" src="http://storage.googleapis.com/support-kms-prod/SNP_2911815_en_v1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="currents_badge-300x250.gif" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Courtesy of Google Currents</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hi Everyone,</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I've recently noticed the Challenger RPG Website Feed on Google Currents is acting up a bit. The feed doesn't appear to be updating and somehow a random picture of an old man and some desk has ended up in the middle of the Cool Pictures post. I've contacted Google Currents, but they've basically said 'tough luck' and I've done all I can think of at this point.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sorry for any inconvenience. I'm hoping the problem will blow over and Google will fix it up. In the meantime, the regular RSS feed appears to be working great in Google Currents still.</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-51878097987713201642013-01-29T19:56:00.002-08:002013-11-22T21:29:19.268-08:00Why D&D Sucks (Spoof Article)<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Before
you get your dander up and decided to cremate me with your +5 flame
sword, I’d like to point out that this article is a spoof. Do you hear
me, a spoof! I like D&D, you like D&D, everyone likes
D&D—except those who hate it. This article is about why D&D
sucks in the same way that people write about why being a millionaire
sucks. In it, I will attempt to cover a wide range of editions in loving
detail, complete with their various shortcomings. Please feel free to
let me know what I’ve missed.</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Chain Mail</b>:
These were miniatures rules, so they </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">sucked. Although you could play
out vast wars and such, you weren’t technically allowed to act like a
</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">buffoon as you role-played your character. On top of that, apparently,
fireballs had the blast radius of a<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>catapult which is pathetic but would
probably solve Monty Haul.</span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.grifonosso.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Dd_Box1st.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" class="size-full wp-image-3953" height="300" src="http://www.grifonosso.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Dd_Box1st.jpg" title="D&d_Box1st" width="182" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Courtesy of Griffonosso.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>1st Edition</b>:
There were various renditions of the original dungeons and dragons
game. Notable among them: a wood-grain box which is now seriously
overpriced on Ebay, a white box ‘collector’s edition’ which is the same
without references to Ents and Hobbits, and the regular box which I have
no comment on.</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><br />1st Edition Basic</b>:
Pretty much the one everyone remembers about, most of them came in a
red box. Yes, I know there was some other one, but whatever. The
advantage of this edition was the </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">fact it was nearly impossible to
power-game because you were so weak-ass and random, you could put random
junk in the game box and lug it around with you, and everyone remembers
it.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />Among the disadvantages: randomness, being weak-ass, and lack of irrelevant rules to clutter up the game system with.</span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.deigames.com/ph1st2ndc.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" id="il_fi" src="http://www.deigames.com/ph1st2ndc.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Courtesy of OneLostRoad.blogspot.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>Advanced</b>:
These were the last of the books written solely by the game creators.
They had kick-ass advice, added pretty much everything modern </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">D&D
now has, and they were filled to the max with stuff you could
power-game.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />Among
the disadvantages: weirdness in multi-classing rules, crazy xp system,
convoluted rules, bigger books requiring more strength to lug around,
and a lack of a box to put things in.</span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cb.pbsstatic.com/l/63/7163/9780880387163.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Players Handbook Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 2nd Edition)" border="0" class="book_image" id="book_image_l" itemprop="image" src="http://cb.pbsstatic.com/l/63/7163/9780880387163.jpg" style="max-height: 290px; max-width: 195px;" title="Click to view a larger cover image of "Players Handbook Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 2nd Edition)" by David Cook, Margaret Weis" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Courtesy of paperbackswap.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>2nd Edition</b>:
Not only did this edition function on THAC:0 which was ridiculous, it
also had the weirdest skill proficiency system ever. It’s possible that
if you ever managed to read all the rules on weapon speeds that you
could actually play a game. Thankfully, you were still weak-ass enough
to die all the time and there were enough rules to make power-gaming a
viable option. Multi-classing is still weird.</span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img2.imagesbn.com/p/9780786915507_p0_v1_s260x420.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dungeons and Dragons Player's Handbook: Core Rulebook I" border="0" class="product-image image img book" data-bn-cache="%7B%22values%22%3A%5B%22Product%20Image%22%2C%22Hero%20Product%22%2C%22ProductImageMain%22%5D%2C%22isPageAware%22%3Atrue%2C%22nodes%22%3A%5B%5D%7D" data-bntrack="ProductImageMain" data-expand-image="1" id="rnd-1036381926" itemprop="image" src="http://img2.imagesbn.com/p/9780786915507_p0_v1_s260x420.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Courtesy of Barnes and Noble.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>3rd Edition</b>:
Long after everyone thought D&D was dead, a new crew took over and
came out with 3rd edition. Simpler and easier to understand than second,
stealing everything from advanced, and implementing ‘skills’ along with
characters who didn’t </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">instantly die at first level: 3rd edition was a
major comeback. Only in retrospect as a game designer do I now notice
that 3rd edition also had the beginnings of the foul ups to come. Skills
actually don’t work; starting out decent at first level leads to an
ever-escalating numerical war which will eventually ruin a game; and
removing THAC:0—which at the time I thought was brilliant—actually
screws up a lot of the numbers which make the game function properly.
Did I mention you could still power-game the crap out of 3rd?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>3.5 Edition</b>:
What the heck? A partial decimal edition doing nothing more than
replacing good rules with miniatures ones so they can sell you all the
books you already bought over again? Did I miss anything?</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>4th Edition</b>:
Unwittingly, this edition continued the flawed trend of ‘more power is
better’ allowing people to get higher ability scores, more whacked-out
multi-classing, a stupidly balanced power system, and an </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">escalating
‘arms race’ of numbers which would make many a nation’s nuclear weapons
division jealous. On the pro side, 4th edition tried to be different
which is a fine thing. They also took a stab at ‘balance’ </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">forgetting
that: 1. the more stuff you add to a game </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">the less balanced it is, and
2. who cares about balance anyway? The major fluff in spells which made
the game cool was also missing. Yes, those same spells wreaked havoc
with overpowered sorcerers (a wizard with more power), but oh well.</span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://heroesofshadow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/gandalf_multiclass.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="http://heroesofshadow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/gandalf_multiclass.jpg" border="0" class="decoded" height="256" src="http://heroesofshadow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/gandalf_multiclass.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Courtesy of HeroesofShadow.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>5th Edition</b>:
Actually asking the fans instead of randomly doing stuff is a nice
move. This edition isn’t out yet, but I’ve heard from a few people
saying they don’t care anymore. Others are hopeful. I have the feeling
they’ll fail on some really basic fundamentals, but at least they’re
trying which is always a good thing in my books. By Jove, if I was in
charge, I’d ruin the game, but I’d ruin it with style.</span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.sodahead.com/polls/001068145/pf1_xlarge.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Does anynoe have the Pathfinder rpg players handbook?" border="0" class="currentModalImage" id="curPopImage_1068145" src="http://images.sodahead.com/polls/001068145/pf1_xlarge.jpeg" style="visibility: visible;" title="Does anynoe have the Pathfinder rpg players handbook?" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Courtesy of SodaHead.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>Pathfinder</b>:
While technically not D&D, Pathfinder really is D&D. Basically,
it’s 3.75 edition. It keeps all the elements of power-gaming we’re so
fond of, adds more, gives you more things per level, and generally makes
a mess of things in the grand style of 3rd edition. While many fans
</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">appreciate this game, I can’t help but worry about its future. What are
they going to do next, and are they </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">allowed to? Also, it suffers from
the same flaws as 3rd edition, but nobody noticed them there either.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Summary and Prattle</span></span></h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://5.media.bustedtees.cvcdn.com/5/-/bustedtees.c0e5e275-7585-438f-8c93-75003c94.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" class="gallery_main " id="image_1" src="http://5.media.bustedtees.cvcdn.com/5/-/bustedtees.c0e5e275-7585-438f-8c93-75003c94.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Courtesy of Bustedtees.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I
don’t mean this article to say that D&D is bad, or that any one
edition or game is fundamentally better or worse than another. Though I
ridicule them all, it’s with the heart of a kindly parent yelling
incessantly at his kids. I’m fairly sure I missed some of the finest and
worst points of the editions, but hey, I’m writing this in four hours
on my only day off.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />This
article also doesn’t cover the OSR movement, the many fine indie games
out there, or the great game companies who put out such classics as:
GURPS, Savage Worlds, and so forth.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />Also,
one might readily wonder about how technology is affecting the market.
After all, there wasn’t much in the way of electronic entertainment when
the original D&D came out and now there is. The aging demographic
of the original game players is another consideration. What do these
older gamers like to play? (if anything). It’s reasonable to assume that
what might have pleased a 13-year-old won’t have the same appeal to a
30-year-old family man. Possibly, these older gamers are teaching a new
generation to game, but teaching them what? Random RPGs designed for
little kids? I think we’re forgetting that RPGs in general were what
‘we’ as little kids were after, no need to make them ‘little kid’ RPGs
(no offense to any out there).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />I’ve
heard on multiple occasions of people who think it would be brilliant
to have ‘online’ versions of their favourite RPGs. Sadly, most RPGs
function better face to face. While message boards are cool, they’re a
whole different experience. Video-chat and other tools can only go so
far, but it’s an interesting conundrum nevertheless.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />So,
what are your thoughts on the pros and cons of various editions of
D&D? How do you think the market has changed in the years since the
original game came out? Do you think D&D has been getting steadily
better or steadily worse? Perhaps, every edition has pros and cons. How
do you think technology is affecting the market? When you’re in the
nursing home, which game will you be playing?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.challengerrpg.com/2013/01/d-digital-archive-is-released.html" target="">D&D Digital Archive is Released</a></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.challengerrpg.com/2013/01/how-to-sabotage-your-rpg-session.html">How to Sabotage your RPG Session</a> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.challengerrpg.com/p/fun-stuff.html">My Favorite Twitter Tweets</a> </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-5503651176658841112013-01-27T18:04:00.000-08:002013-01-27T18:04:47.271-08:00D&D Digital Archive is Released<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="fancybox-img" src="http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/images/44/110274.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">D&D Basic Cover via DriveThruRPG.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In case anyone's missed it, Wizards of the Coast recently released a load of old titles a<span style="font-size: large;">s di<span style="font-size: large;">g<span style="font-size: large;">ital</span>
editions on Drive Thru RPG and it's sister sites. This includes the old
red book basic edition of D&D in PDF for 4.99. You can read more
about it here: <a href="http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2013/01/dungeons-dragons-is-so-classic-it-now-has-its-own-digital-archive/?utm_source=twitter.COM&utm_medium=socialmedia&utm_campaign=20130123&utm_content=dungeonsanddragonsissoclassicitnowhasitsowndigitalarchive3" target="_blank">Smithsonian D&D Article</a></span><b> </b>or just check out the titles available here: <a href="http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=44" target="_blank">Drive Thru RPG--D&D</a></span></span></span></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-8288695382894927892013-01-20T22:46:00.002-08:002013-11-23T13:39:25.922-08:00How to Sabotage your RPG Session<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTG9UhzK8PxPgD145Qy5Pye1TquiECw1DCbkACyLSyJP08u9XK6b11mZHKT2-Co7R3M6PobOfDw9SekRj-aR6bb6vaPoGNzCPDROFOgQSOjtj41O1NKGhAR-SL5i0tF-kPyQMfiZGNjeyu/s1600/100_3623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTG9UhzK8PxPgD145Qy5Pye1TquiECw1DCbkACyLSyJP08u9XK6b11mZHKT2-Co7R3M6PobOfDw9SekRj-aR6bb6vaPoGNzCPDROFOgQSOjtj41O1NKGhAR-SL5i0tF-kPyQMfiZGNjeyu/s320/100_3623.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Many GMs attempt to get their games to run smoothly. They minimize distractions, set the mood, and try to maximize the gaming experience for their players. As a player, it’s probably in your best interest to sabotage all the GM’s best laid plans, including the set-up of his gaming atmosphere.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />GMs may be able to use this article to their advantage by not doing anything outlined below and giving -1 billion experience point (awards?) to the players who try to use them.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>1. Bring Food</b>: While having snack foods handy can enhance a game, you can detract the attention to a game at warp speed by mentioning ‘pizza’, bringing in loud foods such as pop and chips, and/or running off to the fridge to check if there’s something good in there.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>2. Go to the Bathroom</b>: Taking frequent bathroom breaks not only will annoy your GM, it’ll cripple the effectiveness of your party as well. They’ll either sit around waiting for you, or keep playing and then have to stop and explain everything to you again when you return.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>3. Watch T.V.</b>: One of the ‘kings’ of messing up a game, try to have a T.V. handy and preferably in the same room as the game. Not only will this mess up the game, the GM will be hard pressed not to watch himself even if only commercials are on. Cellphones, tablets, laptops, computers, videogames, and other devices with screens can do in a pinch.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />4. Play Music</b>: While mood music can be great, you can play havoc with the game by playing loud and inappropriate music. Not only will this distract the other players, ruin the mood, and make everyone forget the story but—hey, is that my favourite song?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>5. Bring small Children</b>: If they’re old enough to play, this plan may backfire. However, having a few toddlers, small dogs, or cats on the game table can do wonders; if they aren’t potty-trained yet, so much the better.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>6. Forget Everything</b>: This can include (but is certainly not limited to) your: dice, books, character sheets, pencils, paper, computer, figures, sense of time, clothes, food, personal items, appointments, jobs, responsibilities, phone calls, the adventure, and anything else you would normally remember out of common courtesy.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>7. Gossip</b>: Off topic chatter, especially if it’s interesting or supremely dull, can do wonders for trashing a game. Tell your fellow players about your car, girlfriend, what happened yesterday, or a hilarious anecdote about nothing which you forgot which probably happened sometime around ’57.<br /><b> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>8. Pick a High Traffic Room for your Game</b>: Never set up the game in your house/apartment unless it’s in a living room where all of your family members will be passing by constantly, asking questions, yelling down the hall to each other, or watching T.V. Picking a high traffic area such as the kitchen or living room can also be strategic for launching other strategies like ‘Little Kids’ and ‘Food’.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>9. Wait for everyone to Show Up</b>: This will probably include at least 5 people who have no chance of being there, ever. Such people may include: Spock, Darth Vader, and Britney Spears.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>10. Launch your Game Internationally</b>: Adding in a few players overseas where it’s probably 3 a.m. could be helpful. It also helps if you mess up the connection feed on the video or audio occasionally or get into frequent arguments with the virtual players.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>11. Don’t Set a Game Schedule</b>: People only make appointments and commitments for boring things they’ll actually show up to. You should never plan out (or let anyone know) when you’re going to be running a game. It’s much better to call them 5 minutes beforehand and find out they’re already in Alaska or at the Dentist’s.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>12. Plan Unreasonably</b>: If you have Supper at 5:00 and a Soccer game at 5:30 and all your friends live 30 miles away…you guessed it! Schedule a game for 5:05.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />13. Never play the same character or Campaign twice</b>: Everybody probably hates playing the same character more than once. What could be more boring than an ongoing campaign where your actions actually matter?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>14. Sacrifice the Game for the Rules</b>: What’s more important? Playing the game, or knowing the correct rule. Rules, of course. No matter how long it takes, always look up the ‘correct’ way of doing things. People don’t show up to game, they show up to chat and look up obscure rules.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>15. Don’t Prepare</b>: As everyone knows, prepping for a game is for wimps. Your time would probably be better spent watching T.V.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>16. Be Unclear</b>: The players don’t need a clear idea of where they are or what they’re doing. Might as well be intentionally unclear and muddle them up further.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>17. Change the Game Setting Last Minute</b>: Is everyone set to play Star Wars? Why not throw Traveller at them instead? Better yet, switch over to Monopoly with hybrid Risk rules you just thought up.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>18. Always Include a New Player</b>: Throwing in at least one new player (preferably someone who actually doesn’t want to be there) can slow your game down no ends. Do it.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>19. Be Unfair</b>: Favouring one player over all the others builds team spirit. Players also like it if you unfairly kill off their favourite characters…a lot. Being arbitrary and unfair at the same time creates a wondrous dream combo to make all your other GM buddies jealous.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>20. Mess with your Dice</b>: During dull parts of the game (everything not directly involving you) you should spin your dice, throw them behind shelves, drop them under the table, and build dice towers of them. Stealing all the other players’ and the GM’s dice helps too. If you don’t have any dice you can also do this with pencils, or make paper airplanes out of important notes and character sheets.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>21. Show up Late</b>: Being early is for sissies. No one will respect you unless you always show up late to game sessions. One method is to roll 1d6 and multiply it by 10 minutes. This is the time you should show up after the game was officially to begin. With any luck you’ll come in at a crucial moment and spoil the flow of the adventure.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />22. Use a Funny Voice</b>: Not only does using a funny voice show you’re insecure and think you’re role-playing, if you do it properly no one will be able to understand what you’re saying either. This is priceless<span style="font-size: large;">.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">How Not to Sabotage your RPG Session</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Basically, just do the opposite of everything above. Good luck!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.challengerrpg.com/2013/01/dealing-with-high-level-pcs.html">...Dealing with High Level PCs</a></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580192478797474590.post-52914211012731960172013-01-13T17:46:00.000-08:002013-01-13T17:46:27.353-08:00Dealing with High Level PCs<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Conventional methods of adventure design often don’t work so well with high level characters. Because of the mouse-hitting-the-switch-for-more-food-effect, PCs at higher levels tend to be way overpowered. The average high level character has at least a half dozen powerful abilities, and magic items. So, instead of throwing more orcs at them, here are some strategies to stop your overpowered PCs in their tracks.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />1. High Level NPCs</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Presumably, the PCs aren’t one-of-a-kind super heroes. It’s probable that there are a half million high level NPCs, Villains, and monsters who’ve had the opportunity to level up and gain ten times more magic items and special abilities than the party. Naturally, they probably work in hit squads of 20+.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />2. Anti-Magic</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Yes, it’s cheap. Yes, it’s annoying. Yes, it’s a miserable cop out. However, anti-magic in all its various forms is like having a giant death ray marked: disable all PCs. 90% of your heroes’ abilities are likely to be magical in nature if only for the reason that magic is so overpowered. Using copious amounts of dispel magic, anti-magic zones, magic eating monsters, magic immune monsters, and permanently magic draining effects is probably a good idea. Be warned, this tactic is often so effective the players will all quit when their characters die because you were so cheap.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />3. Invincible Monsters</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Who says a monster can’t be utterly invincible? The players certainly have their fair share of cheap magical effects. Reserve actual invincibility for your own creations. These ultra-baddies should also be able to detect invisibility, wield insane magic, and have 200 billion intelligence scores. Inventing at least one way they can be killed, preferably something the players don’t have ready access to, can be a good idea too.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />4. Other Dimensions</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Other realms and times can serve as great ways to mess around with the high level characters. If they come up against modern weaponry, starships, deities, realms without magic, or dinosaurs; it can be helpful for taking their power level down a notch. Of course, they’re highly likely to grab all this new weaponry so you might want to suck it off them for some whack-o, paradox reason when they eventually get back to their own world.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />5. Overpowered Monsters</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Take a look at all the character sheets of the players. Then create a monster with all of their stats x10 and ways to counter or abuse their existing abilities. If the party magic is a pyromaniac, consider having the creature feed on flame. If the whole party can time travel, maybe it travels through time and eats people?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />6. Use Realism</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The players, no doubt, figure they’re invincible. Using ‘realism’ in your favor can be a tremendous boon for taking them down a notch. You can have them: starve, dehydrate, get poisoned, become infected, cursed, hit with a 20 ton stone block, etc. While they might have 1 billion hit points and enough armor to block any known attack, you can always simply have them trip in a 1 foot pool of water and drown.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />7. Insidious Traps</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />More than likely, the party thief can find any trap, unlock any door, and so forth. Don’t use normal traps, use insane traps. Traps which you can’t find unless you specifically look in that one corner of the room with the glass figurine of a chicken. These traps are probably magical, un-blockable, and send all your gear to Pluto while teleporting you naked to the bottom of a billion level dungeon filled with demons.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />8. Use Traditionally Cheap Enemies</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Yes, there are historically cheap enemies. These enemies can include: demons, genies, deities, Godzilla, etc. All of these enemies share something in common: they’re cheap as dirt. Not only can all of them fly/swim, breath fire, crush cities, mind control people, become immune to everything, and detect/banish/control magic; they also have a logical reason for being there (someone other than you invented them).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />9. Have Weak Enemies Get Smart</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Who says your kobolds, orcs, and goblins have to sit around and get wasted? Have them all equipped with lethal ranged weapons, magical grenades, insidious traps, killer intelligence, and have ready access to cheap anti-magic powder or something else like that. Generally, weak foes get killed for acting stupid more than anything else. Any orc who stands around with an axe and tries to charge the party is eventually going to get it. The same orc in a tank guarded by 20th level shamans, wearing indestructible plate-mail, and wielding heat-seeking anti-magic missiles might stand a better chance.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />10. Be Creative</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The players’ power probably comes from knowing the rules fifty times better than you and abusing them. Well, that works both ways. Don’t bother trying to know the rules better, that’s a waste of time. Instead, simply make up whatever rubbish you want and force it on the players. Incredibly powerful monsters, insane traps, and arbitrary effects are all at your disposal and more.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />11. Use Overkill</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Balancing things against high level characters is almost impossible. They have so much cheapness and magic on their side that any ‘fair fight’ will quickly slide into their favor. Instead, overkill everything by about 50% or more until you hit a good balance. The players should almost have to burn all those special powers just to stay alive. Sending reasonable opponents against cheap PCs is like trying to send storm troopers after Darth Vader. Instead, send 50 Yodas in giant mechs with grenade launchers.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />12. Be Cheap</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />While a good player can be plenty cheap with the rules, especially at high levels, a (good?) GM can be far cheaper and at any level. Without the constraints of following the rules and with ultimate power over the campaign universe, your potential for cheapness far outweighs that of the players. However, it’s your job to refrain from as much cheapness as you can in a game. If you can get away with being completely fair, and still challenge the players; do so. However, if the players get a little out of hand, you can get way out of hand to bring back balance to the Force.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.challengerrpg.com/2013/01/ten-ways-to-make-treasure-cool.html">...Ten Ways to Make Treasure Cool</a></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01463067823782767907noreply@blogger.com0